An SUV rollover on a Florida Turnpike killed five people Friday night. There were eight people in the Ford Expedition travelling from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale for a religious event, when the rear tire apparently blew. The driver lost control near the Lake Worth service plaza and the SUV rolled into a 15-foot-deep canal with its roof down. The dead include three young children, the driver and a passenger. Two other children are still in the hospital and one person has been released. Police say that of the five who died, only the driver was wearing a seatbelt.

Authorities say alcohol was not involved in the accident, and that it is possible that the tire treat separated. There have been several lawsuits filed as a result of blown tires and SUV rollovers. Lawsuits involving the Ford Expedition target the vehicle's design. Those involved allege the top-heavy design affects vehicle handling, and weak door latches and an absence of laminated safety glass does not keep passengers in the SUV in rollover accidents.

The SUV involved in Friday night's accident jumped a cable barrier installed in 2007 along the turnpike, and other roads, to keep vehicles from flipping into canals that run alongside the pavement.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an SUV rollover accident, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.