Lakeland man found dead after car submerges in retention pond: Police

LAKELAND, Fla. - A 61-year-old Lakeland man was found dead after his vehicle became fully submerged in a retention pond early Thursday morning, according to the Lakeland Police Department.

Lakeland deadly pond crash

The backstory:

Police say officers responded shortly after 2 a.m. to a report of a vehicle in a retention pond near a Publix warehouse at 2600 County Line Road.

Investigators said a gray Toyota Prius was traveling eastbound on a grassy shoulder of the road leading to the entrance of the warehouse before the crash occurred.

According to early findings by LPD, the vehicle slowly backed into a concrete Lakeland Electric utility pole for unknown reasons before moving forward, traveling down an embankment and entering the pond.

Submerged vehicle located

Dig deeper:

LPD patrol officers, Polk County Fire Rescue and the Lakeland Fire Department responded to the scene and discovered the vehicle was completely submerged underwater.

The LPD Dive Team was called to assist with recovery efforts.

Investigators said divers located the vehicle and found a man dead inside.

Victim identified

What we know:

Police identified the driver as Paul Greenberg, 61, of Lakeland. No one else was found inside the vehicle.

Detectives responded to assist with the investigation.

Based on preliminary evidence, investigators do not suspect foul play.

What we don't know:

The circumstances that led to the vehicle entering the pond remain under investigation.

What you can do:

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact investigating Officer Matthew Hermann at matthew.hermann@lakelandgov.net.

Lakeland