Shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, a right-rear tire blew out on a Chevrolet Trailblazer heading westbound on I-4 near the Gaylord Palms exit, triggering a violent rollover that threw one person onto the highway. The ejected passenger was then struck by an eastbound Lexus and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Crews shut down lanes in both directions while first responders worked the scene and cleared the wreckage.
According to WFTV, the Trailblazer overturned multiple times onto the shoulder and into the median guardrail after the tire failure. The driver and six passengers from the SUV were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The person who was struck on the roadway was transported to Osceola Regional Medical Center, where they were pronounced deceased. Once the crash scene was stabilized, eastbound and westbound lanes from mile marker 66 to mile marker 68 were reopened as troopers continued their investigation.
What investigators are looking at
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol say early reports point to a tire failure as the event that set everything in motion, but they are not stopping there. Investigators will examine the vehicle’s condition, speed, and whether seat belts were in use before finishing their reconstruction of the crash. At multi-vehicle scenes like this, FHP typically collects physical evidence and interviews drivers and witnesses to build a detailed timeline. No arrests or charges have been announced while the probe continues.
Traffic ripple on a busy stretch of I-4
The collision choked off traffic near the Gaylord Palms exit during the overnight hours and created backups on a corridor already prone to big delays when lanes are shut. Hoodline has previously tracked similar I-4 closures and collisions, which often send long ripple effects through commutes and emergency response times; see earlier I-4 shutdowns for context. Drivers in the area may still see spot delays as troopers wrap up on-scene work…