Wrong-way crash near FL airport sends 3 to hospital

Three people were hurt early Wednesday in a wrongway crash between two SUVs that closed a portion of southbound U.S. 1 for seven hours.

“One car was going the wrong direction, driving north in the southbound lanes,” said Gina Carter, spokeswoman for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Paramedics took three people to Broward Health Medical Center.

“Injuries were significant enough that the patients required transport to a trauma center,” said Battalion Chief Michael Kane of Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue. “Firefighters used power tools to free two patients.”

One of the SUVs had advertising on its doors for Advanced Roofing Inc., a commercial roofing company in Fort Lauderdale. The company said one of its employees was injured in the crash.

The collision happened about 4 a.m. near U.S. 1 and Griffin Road, Carter said. The crash site is on the south side of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Southbound U.S. 1 between Southeast 17th Street to Griffin Road was reopened to motorists at 11 a.m., she said.

Broward County Aviation said the majority of drivers headed to the airport use Interstate 595 to get there.

Traffic delays to the airport were minimal, a spokesman said.

Additional information about how the collision happened and who was injured was not available Wednesday from investigators, Carter said. International Airport.