A horrific car crash has claimed the lives of four members of the same family, including a five-year-old twin.

The tragic accident, in which Scarlett Smith, five, her 11-year-old brother Jackson, mother Julie, 41 and grandmother Josephine Fay, 76 were all killed, happened near Disney World in Florida on Tuesday.

Four other members of the 'beautiful' family – Scarlett's twin sister Skylar, their father, grandfather and another girl, 10 – survived with minor injuries.

Police say the pile-up happened at around 5.30pm on the southbound State Road 429 in Kissimmee when the car was rear-ended by a pickup driven by Lucas Dos Reis Laurindo, 26, of Kissimmee.

Their Toyota van, which was being driven by the father, overturned when it was hit from behind after slowing for traffic.

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The driver stayed at the scene after the crash and police say he was co-operative and did not seem impaired.

The man voluntarily gave a blood sample, and charges against him are pending.

It is believed that all of the family, who are from Whitman, Massachusetts, were wearing seatbelts apart from the father.

Jackson was taken to hospital in a critical condition after the crash but died on Wednesday afternoon, while his sister, mother and grandmother all lost their lives at the scene.

His surviving relatives are being given support by Florida Highway Patrol troopers, victim advocates, social workers, and nurses at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Lt. Kim Montes said: "This family is far away from home. We are trying to do as much as we can to support them, but it's beyond their comprehension."

The family have been described as 'beautiful' by a daycare worker who looked after the twins in their hometown, who said: "It's unimaginable. They are a beautiful family. Our hearts are broken."

Jeffrey Szymaniak, Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, where the children went to school, said the district was in mourning.

"It's awful. It really is," he said.

"We go hour by hour, day by day as a district but I think the family should be in our thoughts and prayers and as a community, we mourn for them and we mourn for everyone associated with this tragedy in Florida."

Grief counsellors will be provided for the children's school friends and fellow students.

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