Young man identified in fatal Cape Coral crash
An Update:
The Cape Coral Police Dept. today has identified the young man who died in a fatal crash when he hit the Midpoint Bridge tool booth late Saturday afternoon. The victim was identified as Cody A. Vieira, 18, of Fort Myers.
The Midpoint Bridge eastbound lanes were closed for at least two to three more hours, officials said shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday. The bridge reopened to traffic at around 9:35 p.m. after being closed since about 5 p.m.
Police say a black Ford Mustang convertible struck a concrete toll plaza shortly before 5 p.m., causing massive damage to the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was extricated from the car and taken to to Lee Memorial Hospital. Speed may have played a role in the accident however the investigation is ongoing, officials said Saturday evening.
The Mustang became fully engulfed after crashing into the toll booth. Fire crews had to extinguish the flames and then extricate the driver from the vehicle. The driver suffered severe burns over many areas of his body. EMS arrived on scene with fire crews and took the driver, an unidentified male, to the hospital where he has since died.
Some people who witnessed the accident reportedly grabbed fire extinguishers at the toll booths and tried to put out the fire. A passer-by may have tried to pull the man from the vehicle while it was on fire, but he was force back because of the extreme heat.
Meanwhile, a second person has died in a crash on Saturday on Buckingham Road near Homestead Rd. in Buckingham. The Florida Highway patrol has not released the name of the victim, but said a Ford SUV and Ford pickup collided head on around 2 p.m. Little details were released and it is unknown if the person killed was the driver or a passenger.