Incidents

FHP: 100-year-old man killed in Brevard County crash to avoid hitting sandhill cranes

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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A 100-year-old man has died and two people were seriously injured in a multivehicle crash after drivers stopped for a family of sandhill cranes that was crossing the street, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said the crash occurred on Wickham Road and Murrell Road, not far from the Brevard Zoo, on Sunday around 10:30 a.m.

The drivers of two vehicles that were going west on Wickham Road had stopped in the left lane as the sandhill cranes were crossing the street, according to a release.

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Troopers said the driver of a third vehicle going west on Wickham Road swerved to go around the stopped cars before noticing the birds walking across the street and then swerved back into the left lane, hitting the two stopped vehicles.

A 100-year-old man, identified as Robert Schantz, was a passenger inside the vehicle that swerved to avoid to sandhill cranes. He was taken to Viera Hospital after the crash, where he died, troopers said.

FHP said the crash remains under investigation.

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