Troopers were on scene of an early morning fatal crash near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The crash involved four vehicles, and three people were taken to local hospitals, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which was still investigating the Friday, Sept. 26, incident.
One driver, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. Below is more information and what to know.
What happened in fatal 4-vehicle car crash near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida?
A 63-year-old man from Cocoa, Florida, was killed and several people seriously injured in an early morning, four-vehicle traffic crash near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and Max Brewer Bridge.
The deadly crash happened Friday, Sept. 26, on Beach Road, just east of Titusville Road and west of Launch Complex 34, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. Several Kennedy Space Center police officers were at the site, along with highway patrol troopers. One driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
The unidentified Cocoa man was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck along the winding roadway that cuts through the palmetto and brush. Troopers said the Silverado was traveling westbound on Beach Road when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic.
The pickup truck struck three eastbound vehicles, prompting Kennedy Space Center security officers to respond to the site. Three others were seriously injured and taken to nearby hospitals, highway patrol investigators reported.
Traffic along the narrow roadway, frequently used by NASA employees at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, was also briefly closed and rerouted for workers.
Where was the 4-car crash near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida?
A four-vehicle crash occurred at 6:24 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, on Beach Road east of Titusville Road in Brevard County, near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and near the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Beach Road continues toward Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex after the Max Brewer Causeway, a popular spot to watch rocket launches, ends. The Sept. 26 fatal crash took place on Beach Road near the Max Brewer Bridge, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
On the day before the fatal car crash near Kennedy Space Center, there were two rocket launches on the Space Coast, or a doubleheader. For the next launch near Kennedy Space Center, check FLORIDA TODAY’s rocket launch calendar at floridatoday.com/space.
Photos of the Max Brewer Bridge near Kennedy Space Center and NASA’s VAB
Because of its proximity to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Max Brewer Bridge is one of Brevard County’s closest spots to watch a rocket launch from one of the launch complexes at NASA or nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The photos below show the Max Brewer Bridge.
Where is NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida?
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are located in unincorporated Brevard County, in the Merritt Island area of Florida’s Space Coast. In Florida, rockets are launched from Kennedy Space Center and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the longtime space-themed Florida attraction with a Rocket Garden (a photogenic, Instagram-friendly spot where retired rockets are erected), IMAX theater, shuttle simulator ride, astronaut meet-and-greets, and other entertainment. It’s also home to the (actual) space shuttle Atlantis, the Saturn V rocket and the Vehicle Assembly Building − affectionately known by residents, NASA workforce and journalists as the VAB.
The space-themed Florida theme park is an hour away from the Orlando theme parks − Walt Disney World Resort (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort (Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and Wizarding World of Harry Potter).
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 1 dead in 4-vehicle crash by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. What we know
Reporting by Jennifer Sangalang and J.D. Gallop, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
