Family of 4 killed in Florida crash after seeing SpaceX launch

A British family's trip to see a SpaceX launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday ended in tragedy when all four people were killed in a collision with another vehicle.

The Titusville Police Department said in a news release the "violent collision" happened just after 6 p.m. on State Road 405, as Adam P. Stephenson, 30, of Bristol, England, was making a U-turn into the path of an eastbound black Ford F-250 pickup truck.

"Our investigators believe they were coming from the space center because of the GPS and it appears they were trying to get their location back to where they were going and for some reason made a U-turn," Police Deputy Chief Todd Hutchinson told FOX35 Orlando.

All four occupants of the rental car were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Maryanne and Adam Stephenson were among those killed in the crash. (Facebook)

The passengers of the car have been identified as Maryanne Stephenson, 29; Brian Stephenson, 66; and Sheralyn T. Stephenson, 56 -- all from Bristol, England.

PLANES CRASH ON RUNWAY AT INDIANA AIRPORT, KILLING 2 FIREFIGHTERS

Police said the GPS was instructing a "U-turn" at the intersection "most likely because of an earlier crash with road blockage on SR 407 - which was the original GPS route from the Space Center for their trip back to Davenport."

The driver of the truck, 28-year-old James Walsh of Port. St. John, was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash happened as the family was returning from watching the SpaceX launch. (FOX35)

"I seen people running out there and I went over there and looked and I seen a car demolished," Earl Pierson, who works nearby, told FOX35.

The highway was closed for hours as authorities responded to the crash, which remains under investigation.

Load more..