POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A high-speed collision between an SUV and a semi-truck near Bartow Thursday evening has left one driver dead.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the fatal crash on State Road 60, approximately two miles west of Bartow, around 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
The crash involved a black Honda Pilot SUV and a blue Peterbilt semi-truck with a tanker trailer. The driver of the Honda was found deceased at the scene, while the semi-truck driver was uninjured.
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Based on evidence and witness statements, investigators determined that the semi-truck was exiting a property on the south side of SR 60 and attempting to turn left onto the westbound lanes.
The Honda was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed and collided with the rear wheels of the tanker trailer. The impact was so forceful that it lifted the empty 30,000-pound trailer off the ground and into the westbound lanes.
The deceased driver, who was not identified by deputies, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
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