A three-vehicle collision on a rain-slicked highway south of Mulberry claimed the life of a 71-year-old Lakeland driver on Monday morning, while simultaneously resulting in felony charges and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold against a second motorist who fled the scene, according to authorities.
Emergency personnel were dispatched at approximately 6:10 a.m. to State Road 37 near County Road 630 in Bradley Junction, a location roughly 10 miles south of Mulberry, as reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered the Lakeland man deceased inside a 2006 Ford Focus. A 29-year-old Wimauma man remained at the scene inside his 2018 Toyota Highlander and was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The operator of the third vehicle involved, a 2010 Honda Accord, had already abandoned his car and fled the scene on foot.
Preliminary investigative findings revealed that the Toyota was traveling northbound on State Road 37 when the driver lost control due to adverse weather and wet road conditions. The sport utility vehicle crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, colliding with the southbound Ford Focus before striking the Honda Accord, which had been traveling directly behind the Ford at the time of impact.
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