JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Three separate wrecks in Putnam, Duval and St. Johns counties before dawn on Friday took five lives and injured several other people.

The worst wreck occurred just after midnight in Putnam County and Channel 4 was told it took the lives of three young people.

The Florida Highway Patrol spent most of the night investigating the wreck on Bardin Road at Comer Road just west of Palatka.

The FHP said the 2004 Cadillac was traveling at a high rate of speed when it left the road, struck a tree and caught on fire. They also say no one inside was wearing a seat belt.

The driver, 20-year-old Anthony McCaskill, and two passengers -- 18-year-old Derby Coring and 17-year-old Lamieh Thomas -- all died at the scene. Troopers said all three victims were Palatka residents.

Later in the day, relatives laid flowers and teddy bears at the scene to honor the victims and said they were trying to cope with the tragedy.

"Words can't describe this. It's a tragedy," said Thomas' sister, Natasha Jackson. "(We're) praying and wondering when people are going to realize and turn their lives over to God."

About 2 a.m. in Duval County, seven people from Middleburg were on the ramp from Interstate 95 to I-295 northbound when the driver lost control of the 2001 Saturn hatchback, crossed two lanes of traffic and struck the guardrail.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the impact caused one of the backseat passengers, 13-year-old Jesse Harper, to be ejected from the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. All the other occupants of the car, ranging in age from 13 to the 31-year-old driver, Angela Harper, were hospitalized with serious injuries.

The wreck was still being investigated, but troopers suspect that alcohol was a factor.

About two hours later, a 43-year-old driver died after veering off state Road 13 just north of county Road 16 and hitting two trees. FHP investigators said it appeared the car was traveling at a high rate of speed and failed to negotiate a turn.

The driver, whose name was not released pending notification of immediate family, was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

State Road 13 was closed in the Orangedale area for about three hours while the FHP investigated and cleared the scene.

The streak of unrelated fatal wrecks began at 4:20 p.m. Thursday when a 79-year-old man riding an electric scooter pulled into the path of another car at the intersection of S.E. Baya and S.E. Montrose avenues in Lake City.

According to the FHP, William Farrant was thrown from the scooter. He was transported to Shands at Lake Shore Hospital, where he died. Charlotte Stufar, 35, the driver of the Honda Accord that struck the scooter, received a minor injury but was not hospitalized.

Troopers said charges were pending further investigation.