First Responder Ezekiel Urrutia Dies in Wrong-Way Crash on Florida’s Turnpike

23-year-old Ezekiel Urrutia was a first responder waiting to be hired by the Miami Fire Rescue Department, according to family

Broward County, Florida – A young man who was killed in Thursday’s wrong-way crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Broward County has been identified by family as 23-year-old Ezekiel Urrutia of Cutler Bay.

According to the family, Urrutia was a first responder waiting to be hired by the Miami Fire Rescue Department.

The deadly head-on collision happened at about 1:45 a.m. on January 16 in the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike, just after Red Road, according to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

FHP said a 55-year-old woman was driving a 2010 grey Honda Element SUV the wrong way in the inside lane of the Turnpike and collided head-on with a 2016 Honda Civic operated by Urrutia.

The impact caused the Civic to spin around while the SUV struck a concrete barrier and overturned.

Troopers said Urrutia died in the collision while the 55-year-old Hialeah woman sustained incapacitating injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.