Two die in weather-related Immokalee crash, Florida Highway Patrol says

Florida Highway Patrol says two motorists died in a weather-related crash in Immokalee on Wednesday morning, hours before Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a weather emergency in Collier County and others linked to possible flooding.

According to a news release, a vehicle driven by a 33-year-old Immokalee man was headed west on Immokalee Road near Platt about 11:35 a.m. A second vehicle driven by a 21-year-old Immokalee man was headed east on Immokalee also approaching Platt.

More:Live weather updates: Naples roads closed. More rain, flooding expected in Collier County

Troopes said the older driver applied his brakes, losing control of the vehicle because of the roadway conditions. The vehicle rotated, crossing the center line and into the path of the second vehicle, which hit the passenger side.

A passenger in the older Immokalee driver's car, a 35-year-old Immokalee woman, died at the scene, a second passenger, a 25-year-old Immokalee man died at the hospital.

Both drivers were taken to the hospital with "non-incapacitating injuries" and a 27-year-old Immokalee woman, who was passenger in the second car had incapacitating injuries, troopers said.

The National Weather Service reported about 4 p.m. that between 3 and 5 inches of rain had fallen, with an additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches possible.

The state of emergency was declared for Sarasota, Broward, Collier, Lee, and Miami-Dade counties as a storm moves through Southwest Florida. It began Tuesday and is expected to drop inches of rain in the coming days.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office urged motorists to drive slowly and turn on your headlights in the rain, as well as reporting streets flooding.

"Remember, if you can’t see the roadway, it’s not safe to drive on," the sheriff's Facebook page said about 3 p.m.

Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.