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Family Survives House Fire, Dies In Crash Months Later

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A crash in Palm Beach County claimed the lives of a Southwest Miami-Dade mother and her three children--the same family that CBS4 News spoke to six months ago after surviving a house fire.

Carolina Ortiz, 39, and her three children, Luis Varona, 17, 16-year-old Alejandro Varona, and 14-year-old Melissa Varona died in the crash. A fifth person inside the car is listed in critical condition.

A close family friend told CBS4 that Ortiz and her children had moved to and had been living in Clewiston after the fire at their home in S.W. Miami-Dade. The friend said every morning, she drove her children to school in Miami-Dade. That would explain why they were on U.S. 27 before 6 a.m.

The accident happened on US-27 and Mile Marker 64 in Palm Beach County shortly before 6 AM Tuesday.

SW Dade House Fire
One woman was taken to the hospital after a fire erupted in her southwest Miami-Dade home. (Source: CBS4)

As it turns out, CBS4 News met the family back in September of 2014 when their home when up in flames.

Their home, at 10471 SW 146th Street, has been boarded-up since the fire, which gutted their home on the morning of September 9th. Authorities said the fire was ignited by unattended candles.

Ortiz, a single mother, escaped the fire with burns all over her body—this was just six months before her and her children would be involved in the fatal accident.

Luis Varona, at the time of the fire, saved his mother and two siblings.

"The house caught on fire and I got everyone out," Varona told CBS4.

Joaquin Lopez, who has known that family for 13 years, recalled the memory of the fire to CBS4's Peter D'Oench Wednesday.

"It was like a nightmare. I woke up at three in the morning. I saw the house on fire."

Ortiz recovered after the fire—but didn't survive the crash on a dark road, in foggy conditions, just west of Belle Glade.

CLICK HERE to watch Peter D'Oench's report

According to Florida Highway Patrol, Ortiz's Ford Focus hit a trailer that had become dislodged and when was struck by another tractor trailer.

"I just heard right now and I am in shock. I left my job and came over here. It's unbelievable. I still can't believe it," said Lopez. "I saw them growing up," Lopez said about the three teens. "Nice kids, very responsible, very hard working."

Lopez hoped nothing would happen to the family again after surviving the fire that uprooted them.

"This was a great family. The mom was real good. The mom was taking care of those kids. I just can't," he said.

The fifth person has not been identified but FHP believes he was the mother's boyfriend. He was taken to Delray Medical Center.

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