NTSB examining roadside assistance driver’s actions, SUV speed and seat belt use after six people perish in fiery collision

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — October 29, 2026 — Federal investigators have joined the investigation into a horrific Florida Turnpike collision that claimed six lives, including all three children of a Bahamian mother, as questions intensify over what caused the deadly crash.

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that it is opening an investigation into the October 23 accident, which occurred around 9:31 p.m. near mile marker 252 in Orange County.

The agency’s involvement brings federal scrutiny to a tragedy that has devastated several families and prompted an extraordinary outpouring of sympathy and disbelief.

Among those killed were siblings Charles Milton, Jakara Milton and Dalvena Green, the three adult children of Marshall Clarke-Milton and her husband, Charles Milton Sr.

The siblings were traveling with three others to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, reportedly on their first trip together.

They never arrived.

FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE WHAT WENT WRONG

The NTSB confirmed to FOX 35 Orlando that its investigation will examine the training and performance of the roadside assistance driver, the actions of the SUV driver, including speed, and whether the occupants were wearing seat belts.

The agency investigates serious transportation accidents to identify safety failures and recommend measures that could prevent similar tragedies.

Its involvement does not establish wrongdoing by either driver.

The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting a separate investigation into the collision.

According to the preliminary police account, a Road Ranger roadside assistance truck had been parked in the highway median before its driver received instructions to assist a disabled box truck on the opposite shoulder.

As the Road Ranger moved across the northbound lanes, it collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse carrying six adults.

Both vehicles left the roadway and caught fire.

All six occupants of the SUV died at the scene. The Road Ranger driver survived with minor injuries.

MOTHER CHALLENGES EARLY ACCOUNT

Witnesses reportedly told investigators that the SUV was traveling at high speed without its headlights illuminated.

However, those observations have not been established as the definitive cause of the collision.

Clarke-Milton has challenged suggestions that her children or their companions were responsible, urging investigators to examine the evidence before reaching conclusions.

She wants investigators to establish the SUV’s actual speed and determine whether its headlights were operating.

The family’s concerns underscore the importance of the continuing investigations, particularly given the movement of the roadside assistance vehicle across active highway lanes.

ALL THREE CHILDREN LOST

For Clarke-Milton, the investigation unfolds against an almost incomprehensible personal tragedy.

She lost all three of her children simultaneously.

In an emotional interview with FOX 35 Orlando, the grieving mother described the terrible feeling that overcame her when she could not reach them.

“My heart sank,” she said, recalling the moment she feared her children were involved.

The siblings were among six people whose lives ended during what should have been an enjoyable evening together.

The other victims included Timothy Williams and Shawn Palmer. A sixth person’s identity had not been publicly confirmed in the latest reports reviewed.

The family’s heartbreak has resonated across The Bahamas and beyond, with expressions of sympathy accompanying calls for answers.

SEARCH FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES

The Florida Highway Patrol has indicated that a crash report is expected within approximately ten days of the accident.

The NTSB’s investigation will examine broader transportation safety concerns, including the operation of roadside assistance vehicles and the circumstances surrounding the collision.

For the grieving families, the findings cannot reverse the tragedy.

But they may establish what happened on that stretch of Florida’s Turnpike and whether anything could have prevented six people from losing their lives.

For one Bahamian mother, the loss is especially devastating.

Three children left for an evening of entertainment. Not one came home.

Turks and Caicos – Caribbean Supercharged Service, Learning & Leadership workshops were enjoyed by professionals from Grace Bay Car Rentals, a local sponsor, alongside a Heavy Machinery Rental Company, a Paint retailer, 8 resorts, a luxury villa management enterprise and 3 TCHTA sponsored junior chefs, including Team TCI Junior Chef 2026, Zaliya Dickenson, who will complete at the Taste of the Caribbean in November for her country.

These workshops were the result of the longstanding partnership between the CHTA Education Foundation and their sponsor, Sandals Foundation, who support the Caribbean Supercharged programme on a different island every year. This year, the Turks & Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association (TCHTA) hosted the initiative to the delight of its members.

The workshops targeted new team members, seasoned professionals, managers and supervisors. Topics included Foundations & Finesse within Customer Interactions, Delivering Clear Expectations for Service Consistency and Making Memorable Moments.

Sandals Foundation was pleased to also sponsor chefs, cooks, stewards, warehouse & purchasing staff from 7 resorts and 2 high schools for an intensive HACCP Preparation & Pre-Requisites informational day, including international coursebooks, team training booklets and each person’s international assessment fee. The course is approved by the Royal Society for Public Health UK, earns Continuing Professional Development Credits, and is recognized globally as the leading Food Safety Management System.

Deryk Meany, General Manager, Beaches TCI, represented Heidi Clarke, Executive Director, Sandals Foundation at the 20 October Celebration with energy and passion for professional development and life-long learning in tourism to ever uplift and grow ourselves. He asked participants to ‘never stop learning! Today is a step upwards in your personal growth and that of the industry. We are never too old to learn, to share our experiences within training and grow”

Wesley Clerveau, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, gave spirited, positive inspiration and congratulations to the participants “Stayover arrivals in TCI have increased by 6% between January & June this year, we are hot! The place visitors wish to be, and your time, application and learning in each workshop is invaluable to us as a destination and to you as citizens and residents. I urge you to put what you have gained into practice immediately and keep applying yourselves; the more you upgrade, the more service elevates, the more we all succeed”

Karolin Troubetzkoy, Chairwoman, CHTA Education Foundation commented “Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year’s workshops, thank you for being fully engaged and making the most of your opportunity.

Special mention to the 8 past participants that we reunited with and are now working in leadership positions, BRAVO! We are delighted for you and encourage you to stay focused and keep shining and growing upwards.

It has been the Education Foundations honor to work closely with our sponsor Sandals Foundation and partner with TCHTA again to create Caribbean Supercharged positivity within each of you”.

Stacey-Ann Wharton, Vice President TCHTA, congratulated everyone present and stressed the TCHTA ongoing commitment to learning and development of members teams and management, along with special TCHTA scholarships for the HACCP session for 3 Junior Chefs, showing the Associations commitment to nurturing talent from High School upwards.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

First Insert: Wesley Clerveau, PS, Ministry of Tourism

Second Insert: Deryck Meany, GM Beaches TCI representing Sandals Foundation

Third Insert: Stacy-Ann Wharton, Vice President, TCHTA

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Crown Land Unit, with coordination and support from the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise in the Five Cays area on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to address the illegal occupation and unauthorised use of Crown land.

The exercise brought together representatives from the Crown Land Unit, ISU and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force. Security for the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Inspections were conducted across several parcels of Crown land throughout Five Cays, where instances of illegal occupation and unauthorised use had been identified.

During the exercise, a total of forty (40) Section 22 Notices of Unauthorised Occupation were served in accordance with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance. The notices related to various forms of unauthorised occupation and use of Crown land, including incomplete structures, shipping containers, derelict vehicles, trailer chassis, building materials and other items.

Where persons were not present, notices were affixed to the relevant structures or items. The exercise forms part of the Crown Land Unit’s continuing efforts to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land and to ensure that identified instances of unauthorised occupation are appropriately addressed.

The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands reminds the public that Crown land must not be occupied, developed or otherwise used without lawful authority.

The Crown Land Unit, supported by the ISU and its other partner agencies, will continue to identify and address instances of illegal occupation of Crown land across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Persons affected by notices issued during enforcement exercises are encouraged to comply with the requirements outlined and to seek guidance from the relevant authorities where necessary.