The teenager survived but her 42-year-old mother and 8-year-old sister died. Three others were also injured, said Polk County Sheriff’s officials.
Spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer did not say why the girl, who cannot legally possess a driver’s license, was driving.
The crash is still under investigation.
As she turned onto County Road 640, the 14-year-old struck a minivan carrying two elderly passengers, both of whom were taken to the hospital.
Doris Foust, 77, and her husband Richard Foust, 80, both of Fort Meade are expected to fully recover.
The impact sent the sedan and minivan crashing into another vehicle, a Toyota Corolla driven by 56-year-old Martha Criswell. She too, will survive, Eleazer said.
The 14-year-old was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with critical injuries but she is stable.
The girl’s mother was sitting in the front passenger seat and died at the hospital. The little girl was seated in the back and pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators have not determined whether any of the passengers in the teenager’s vehicle were wearing seat belts.
Eleazer said more information will be released as it becomes available.
arehernandez@tribune.com or 407-420-5471
