Auburndale Police Department Investigating Fatal Crash Involving a Child Pedestrian
At approximately 6:24 a.m. on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, the Auburndale Police Department began an investigation of a vehicle vs. pedestrian crash that occurred within the intersection of U.S. Highway 92 and Havendale Blvd. The crash resulted in the death of a six-year-old child.
The preliminary investigation has determined that the child was in the median of Havendale Blvd. where it intersects with U.S. 92 and ran north from the median attempting to cross U.S. 92, and was struck by the right front bumper and headlight area of a Ford F150 pick-up truck that was traveling eastbound in the outside lane. The child suffered immediate fatal injuries.
The driver was unaware that he had struck a pedestrian and continued to the area of Lake Alfred where another driver alerted him that he had struck a person. He immediately returned to the scene and was fully cooperative with the investigation. There were no indications he was impaired.
At the time of the crash, it was still dark, and the intersection is illuminated by street lighting. An Auburndale police officer was on-scene immediately. While the investigation was underway, the child’s father arrived at the scene and was notified. The child was a student at Auburndale Central Elementary and the Polk County School Board and the elementary school administrators have been notified of the student’s death.
We are still investigating to determine why the child was alone in that location at that time of the morning and this investigation is still active.
Updates will be provided as they become available.
