Pregnant woman, unborn baby killed in 5-vehicle Frostproof crash: PCSO

FROSTPROOF, Fla. - A pregnant 32-year-old woman and her unborn baby died after a five-vehicle crash involving two semi-trucks at a Frostproof intersection Saturday evening, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Polk deadly semi-truck crash 

What we know:

The crash happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. at U.S. 27 and U.S. 98, where three vehicles were stopped at a red light in the northbound lanes of U.S. 27, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies said a 2022 red International semi-truck hauling a trailer was traveling north in the right lane when, for unknown reasons, the driver did not stop for traffic and slammed into the back of a Toyota Highlander at highway speeds.

The crash sent the Highlander into a second semi-truck stopped in the left lane before the SUV continued through the intersection and came to rest in the northeast corner. The SUV was significantly damaged, including intrusion into the rear passenger compartment, according to PCSO.

The 32-year-old woman, an Avon Park resident who was sitting in the back seat, was taken to a local hospital, where she and her fetus later died, according to the sheriff's office.

After hitting the Highlander, the International semi-truck struck the back of a Toyota Corolla, pushing it into a Honda Civic stopped in front of it, PCSO said.

The truck then veered northeast, crossed the intersection and traveled about 400 feet through an open field. It traveled onto a small road, hit a fence and came to rest with its front end in a shallow ditch, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators said the people in all five vehicles appeared to have been wearing seat belts.

Multi-vehicle collision

Dig deeper:

The driver of the International semi-truck, a 53-year-old Michigan man, was not seriously injured. He was treated at a hospital in the area and released, PCSO said.

The most seriously injured survivor was a 37-year-old Avon Park woman who was driving the Corolla, according to the sheriff's office. She remained hospitalized as of the latest update.

Other people involved in the crash were either still receiving treatment or had been treated and released. Officials said they were expected to recover.

U.S. 27 was shut down for about six hours while investigators worked at the scene and crews handled vehicle recovery and cleanup.

Crash investigation

What we don't know:

The sheriff's office has not released the names of the victims or the semi-truck driver. Investigators have not yet determined why the semi-truck driver failed to stop for traffic. 

Polk County