2 dead, 6 injured in 6-vehicle Panhandle crash

MARY ESTHER, Fla. (AP) — Two people died and six others were injured in a crash near Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle.

The six-vehicle crash happened Thursday near the main gate of the U.S. Air Force installation. The westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 98 were closed for hours as the Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash.

Capt. Joey Boudreaux of the Mary Esther Fire Department says both fatalities were in the same vehicle. He told the Northwest Florida Daily News the other victims were taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.

A number of agencies worked together to get the injured people to the hospital and to clear the scene.