2 Fil-Ams die in Florida car crash

FLORIDA, USA - Two young Filipinos died in a single-vehicle crash in South Florida on Sunday, police said.

A third Filipino who was driving the car was in critical condition.

Reports say 18-year-old driver Michael J. Panopio-Mones lost control of a Mazda on I-75 in Sarasota County, Florida on Sunday morning.

The vehicle traveled into a median, hitting a culvert and a utility pole, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Passengers 22-year-old Matthew A. Santayana and 21-year-old Luis Villena, both from West Palm Beach, died in the accident.

Panopio-Mones, who was wearing a seatbelt, survived the crash and was airlifted to the Tampa General Hospital in critical condition.

The Filipino community in Tampa told Balitang America that the young Filipinos are members of the Youths for Christ.

Alcohol was not listed as a factor, according to reports.

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