Sanford woman killed when car vaults over wall, submerges in lake near Celebration High School

CELEBRATION, Fla. – A 32-year-old Sanford woman died early Friday in a crash that resulted in her car submerging into a lake in Osceola County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The fatal wreck happened around 3:10 a.m. near Celebration Boulevard and World Drive, just northeast of Celebration High.

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According to the FHP, the woman was driving south on World Drive at a high rate of speed when she failed to stop at an intersection and struck a curb. Troopers said the car vaulted over an 8-foot wall and plunged into the lake.

The woman’s body was discovered underwater by a dive team from the Orlando Fire Department.

“I don’t know how that happened, I mean you just turn one way or the other,” Judy Strah said.

Strah walked over to the see the debris that was left behind from the impact. She also remembered a deadly crash from 1999 where three tourists were killed after their car submerged in the same pond.

Their bodies were found months later.

“There was a bad accident that happened years ago and that’s why they put the wall up. It was dark and they went all in the lake, and they all drowned,” she said.

FHP troopers said they are looking to see if alcohol or drugs were related to the crash.

An investigation is ongoing.

Earlier, Osceola County Fire Rescue tweeted about the crash.

“We are currently working to recover a submerged vehicle w/unknown # of occupants at Celebration Blvd & World Dr. The @OrlandoFireDept dive team currently has divers in the water,” the tweet said.

Traffic was blocked near Celebration High School.

“Expect delays for several hours,” authorities said.