3 dead in Collier County head-on collision

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Three people, including a child, died in a head-on collision Monday night on State Road 82 near Corkscrew Road.

Officials with Florida Highway Patrol say a Chevy Impala was heading west on State Road 82 when it crossed into the oncoming lanes and hit a Nissan Altima, carrying a family of four from Immokalee.

Troopers say Alex Garcia, 28, and his daughter Alexis, 5, died on the scene. Garcia’s fiancée Jenny Garza, 28, is in serious condition at Lee Memorial Hospital, and the couple’s son Jeremiah, 10, is in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital.

In a statement to WINK News, family members say in part:

“I don’t know a person who wouldn’t agree when I say Alex was the perfect example of a man. He was the best father to both Alexis “Lexi” & Jeremiah “Miah”! He loved his fiancé Jenny with everything in him. They were & are the fairy tale family.”

The road was closed overnight while troopers investigated. Officials say there was  a lot of damage and debris through the road, stretching the length of multiple football fields.

The driver of the Impala also died, and his passenger was transported to the hospital with critical injuries. Their names have not been released at this time.

A bank account has been set up to help family members of Garcia and Garza. To donate, you can visit any Florida Community Bank location and say you’d like to donate to Jennifer Garza’s family.