UPDATE: January 19, 2012
Troopers have identified the family killed on State Road 33 near Groveland Airport Road in Lake County on Friday evening. The deceased are:
41-year-old Wilfredo Malave and his three children – 9-year-old Zion Malave, 7-year-old Phoenix Malave and 2-year-old Avaya Malave.
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A father and his three children were killed on Friday evening after he lost control of the car he was driving and struck several trees.
The crash happened on State Road 33 near Groveland Airport Road in Lake County, just before 7:00 p.m., troopers say.
For an unknown reason, the Lakeland father, heading south on State Road 33, lost control of the 2009 Mercedes. The vehicle struck several trees and a pole and continued on the shoulder with the roof hitting another tree, before it finally stopped, troopers say.
The 41-year-old unnamed father and a male child were pronounced dead on the scene by the Medical Examiner.
A female toddler and another male child were taken to Southlake Hospital where they later died. All four were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
Troopers have not identified the family killed in this horrific crash, nor the ages of the children who died.
Florida Highway Patrol said, the crash remains under investigation.
