Florida mom and her two kids die after their car hits a 9-foot alligator on Southern Carolina highway
A woman from Florida died along with her two children early on Monday after their vehicle hit a nine-foot alligator crossing a highway, according to the authorities.
The family was reportedly heading towards Myrtle Beach in South Carolina looking forward to a relaxing day when the tragic incident occurred.
The Chief Deputy Coroner with the Orangeburg County Coroner's Office, Sean D. Fogle, said that 24-year-old Amber Stanley was traveling in the vehicle with her 4-year-old son Jack and her 2-year-old daughter Amber, down the Interstate 26 exit when her car hit the alligator.
The incident occurred shortly before 1 am on Monday, according to reports.
The family vehicle, an SUV, reportedly ran off the side of the road after hitting the animal and then slammed into a tree and caught fire. Reports state that Stanley and her two children died from thermal injuries.
The woman's husband, Josh Stanley, was not in the city when the incident occurred.
While talking to FOX30, Stanley said that he had gone to Pennsylvania for work when his wife and the children decided to go for the weekend trip.
The husband said: "It’s been hard. I mean, I know it happened. I’m still kind of processing though. I’ll be walking around and I’ll just, like, see something out of the corner of my eye, I go, ‘that’s Amber,’ and I know it’s not, but it’s just the first thing my brain goes to. Or, some kids say ‘dad’ or something."
The family was reportedly from Callahan, which is a town northwest of Jacksonville, Florida.
Stanley said that his wife loved taking a trip to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and he would like to arrange a memorial for her and her kids there, according to reports.
The crash is currently being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.