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On Friday evening, October 25, 2024, shortly before 6:30 p.m., a gray 2023 Dodge Charger, occupied by four teens, was traveling west on Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin from the Walton County line. Witnesses reported that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and passing vehicles. The Charger collided with a black 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, which was attempting a left turn onto Tequesta Drive from eastbound Emerald Coast Parkway. The initial collision caused the Charger to strike a utility pole, resulting in the vehicle splitting in half, overturning, and catching fire. Two of the passengers were ejected, and the driver was extricated from the vehicle by responders. All four occupants were transported to Fort Walton Beach-Destin Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, with at least two sustaining critical injuries. The driver of the Volkswagen Atlas was also transported and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The westbound lanes of Emerald Coast Parkway remained closed for several hours following the crash. The incident is under investigation by the OCSO Traffic Homicide Investigation team, which handles crashes involving fatalities or serious injuries that could result in a fatality. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor at this time.
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