PUNTA GORDA, FL, (March 27, 2026) – A devastating two-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 in Punta Gorda claimed the lives of Jose Martinez and his two young stepchildren on Friday.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 2014 Jeep Wrangler traveling southbound at a high rate of speed crossed the grass median near mile marker 153 and collided with a northbound 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe.
The impact caused the Hyundai to split into multiple pieces. Martinez, who was driving the Hyundai, and his stepchildren, Josiah and Fernando, ages 5 and 6, were pronounced dead from their injuries.
The 28-year-old driver of the Jeep, from New York, was hospitalized with serious injuries. The crash remains under investigation.
