MARY ESTHER, Fla., Aug. 16, 2021—A Baker man suffered minor injuries after a fatal three-car accident took the life of a Mary Esther woman on U.S. Hwy 98 yesterday evening.

The crash happened at the intersection of Hwy 98 and Parish Boulevard in Mary Esther around 7:30 p.m., according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release.

According to the release, a westbound van driven by a Mary Esther man with the woman passenger who perished attempted to make a left-hand turn at the traffic light at Parish Boulevard.

As the van crossed Hwy 98, an eastbound car driven by the Baker resident in the outside lane hit the right front end of the van.

The impact from the crash spun the car to the right and pushed the van to into the northbound traffic lanes of Parish Boulevard. The van hit a second car waiting to turn onto Hwy 98 at the traffic light, according to the release.

The van driver was listed in critical condition. The driver of the car waiting at the light was uninjured in the accident, according to the release.

Both eastbound lanes of Hwy 98 were closed and traffic was temporarily routed through the McDonald’s parking lot until one lane reopened about 30 minutes later, according to a traffic alert by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Normal eastbound traffic resumed about five hours later after a crash investigation was conducted.

The investigation is ongoing, according to the FHP release.