Santa Rosa teens killed in separate accidents Thursday

Two 17-year-olds lost their lives and another 16-year old girl was seriously injured in two car accidents last Thursday.

Two teenage girls from Milton were involved in an a head-on accident on Chumuckla Highway at about 7:30 AM on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. One of the girls died, and the other has been hospitalized and is in critical condition. The woman of the second vehicle was also hospitalized with serious injuries.

A second fatal accident on the same day killed a 17-year-old high school student from Pace, Florida. The single-car accident occurred at around 9:10 AM on White Road at Like Oak Lane. None of the teenagers involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.

Fatal accidents for teen drivers are rare in Santa Rosa county. Since 2001, Santa Rosa county averaged two fatal teen car accidents a year.

An accident in June 2022 nearly claimed the life of a 16-year-old teen from Pace. Other close-calls throughout the year have reignited community efforts to educate teens about safety, including seat belt use.

More than half of all people killed in car accidents were not wearing seatbelts, according to the United States Department of Transportation.