Fiery crash causes major power outage in Orange County plaza

Woman taken to hospital after crash causes vehicle fire, troopers say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Volkswagen Beetle caught fire early Monday following a crash with another vehicle on Orange Blossom Trail at Pope Road, causing a major power outage for nearby businesses.

Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol said the 59-year-old woman behind the wheel was driving southbound when she rear-ended a Jeep, went off the road and hit a pole, knocking out several power lines. 

"I heard a little boom. It woke me out of bed. I come outside and two cars were parked there," said Bobby Clock, who lives across the street.

Clock lives across the street and heard the crash. When he stepped outside, he saw the Beetle fully engulfed in flames.

"When I come out, I heard another boom, like, a loud one and next thing you know, there's a fire," Clock said. 

Troopers said the female driver was able to get out of the car before it burst into flames and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. 

A portion of Orange Blossom Trail was shut down at Rose Avenue during morning rush hour because of the crash. 

It also caused a major power outage at the Orlando North Service Center Plaza, where several business had to close for the rest of the day. 

According to the plaza property manager, power is expected to be restored by the end of the day. 


About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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