Winter Haven man killed in multi-vehicle crash: FHP
One man was killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Polk County on Monday morning. Courtesy: FHP
LAKELAND, Fla. - A Winter Haven man died Monday morning after troopers say a Ford pickup truck slammed into a line of traffic on SR-570, triggering a fatal three-car crash.
The multi-vehicle wreck happened at 6:10 a.m. as vehicles were heading west on the highway.
Highway patrol crash investigation
What we know:
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a tractor-trailer and a Toyota sedan were heading west on SR-570, one behind the other, when they both slowed down for traffic ahead.
Troopers say a 26-year-old Auburndale man driving a Ford pickup truck that was towing a utility trailer failed to slow down.
The Ford pickup truck slammed directly into the back of the Toyota sedan, according to FHP.
The force of the impact, according to troopers, propelled the Toyota sedan forward, causing it to crash into the back of the tractor-trailer.
The 42-year-old Winter Haven man driving the Toyota sedan died from his injuries at the scene.
The 26-year-old pickup driver and the 50-year-old Lakeland man driving the tractor-trailer were not hurt.
Unknown factors in fatal wreck
What we don't know:
Troopers have not yet stated if the driver of the Ford pickup truck will face criminal charges or traffic citations for causing the chain-reaction crash.
It is also unknown how long the westbound lanes of SR-570 will face traffic delays or closures while crews clear the wreckage.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from state highway patrol dispatch records, which explained how the three vehicles collided in successive order on SR-570.