Miami

Tamiami Trail by Krome Avenue Open Again After Fatal Crash

Two people were killed in a crash that blocked a long stretch of Tamiami Trail for hours Monday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash happened at 24050 SW 8th Street, 11 miles west of Krome Avenue, just after 7 a.m. FHP said the driver of a Ford Mustang heading west swerved into the eastbound lane and crashed into a truck.

Both drivers died on impact, officials said.

"We had to put together the model of the vehcile by finding small pieces," said Trooper Joe Sanchez.

The driver of the Ford Mustang was identified as Jerome McKinley Huggins from Ochopee. He was a Miccosukee Tribe member, was going the wrong way on the road. The other driver, Russell Larkin, was in a truck and was a well-known member of the air boating community.

truck tamiami crash
Hank Tester/NBC 6 South Florida
Fragments of a truck involved in a fatal Tamiami Trail crash are towed away.

Larkin lived at the Airboat Association Headquarters on the Tamiami Trial just west of the accident scene.

"We all loved Russell Larkin," said Susan Greenberg. "He did a lot of work with the Wounded Warriors Project, Scout troops. A sad day for everyone out here."

Both eastbound and westbound lanes on Tamiami Trail were blocked off for six hours Monday. The road reopened just before 1 p.m. Monday's deadly accident was the latest in a string of such crashes on the road.

Trooper Sancez said, "In the last six months, we have had three bad accidents that took the life of many people" on the Tamiami Trail.

Stay with NBC6.com for updates on this developing story.

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