CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- Pine Island Road is back open in Cape Coral after a serious crash late Sunday night involving two vehicle fires.
The crash happened at 11:12 PM near the intersection of NE Pine Island Road and Hancock Creek Boulevard/NE 24th Avenue.
Police say an eastbound car abruptly changed lanes and veered left into a van in the other lane. Both vehicles veered to the right and off the roadway, where the car struck a tree and the van overturned.
A witness stopped and helped remove the van's driver from the vehicle and then the passenger in the car. The car's driver was pinned inside.
Both vehicles then caught fire and the car's driver was removed by Cape Coral Fire Department.
All three people involved were trauma alerted to the hospital with life threatening injuries.
They have been identified as 19-year-old Francis Paulette, III as the van's driver, and 35-year-old Michael Getts and 36-year-old Lonnie Retherford in the car.
Police say the crash was alcohol or drug related, and a criminal investigation is under way.
Accident on Pine Island & 24th Ave
Posted by Yair Miranda Martinez on Sunday, April 10, 2016
