OCALA, Fla. (CBS12) — An internal investigation is underway, and a Florida police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after authorities said two brothers were allowed to drive away from a scene despite signs they may have been impaired. Minutes later, officials said, the brothers were involved in a two-vehicle crash that killed two people and sent the brothers to the hospital.

The investigation follows a crash at the intersection of SE Maricamp Road and SE 36th Avenue in Ocala. During a Thursday news conference, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said the brothers, ages 33 and 24, were in a dark red Dodge minivan when it crashed into a black Mazda SUV, killing a 50-year-old woman and her 31-year-old son.

The brothers were taken to the hospital. The older brother, who was driving the minivan, was in critical condition, Balken said.

“While the situation was already heartbreaking, certainly with the loss of two lives, it’s become even more troubling upon discovering that our officers interacted with the brothers and their vehicle just minutes prior to the crash,” Balken said during the news conference.

Balken said an officer encountered the brothers arguing on a sidewalk near State Road 200 while their vehicle blocked a traffic lane. He said there were indications the brothers had been drinking and may have been impaired.

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Balken said officers did not investigate a possible DUI or assess the driver’s level of impairment. Instead, he said, the brothers were allowed to leave, and their vehicle crashed minutes later.

Balken ordered an internal affairs investigation into potential policy violations. The primary officer involved was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome.

The chief said the primary officer was “extremely” new to the agency and had been out of field training for about 30 days. Two other officers, including a sergeant, responded but were not aware of the signs of impairment the first officer observed, Balken said.

The crash remains under investigation.