A motorcycle and car collided Tuesday morning, April 12, 2022, near Lakeland, and resulted in the death motorcyclist.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash on South Frontage Road at Interstate Commerce Park Boulevard at around 8:49 a.m., along with Lakeland Police Department and Polk County Fire Rescue.
When units arrived, they found 54-year old Harold Schraenkler, Jr. of Plant City deceased.
Mr. Schraenkler was the driver of a black 2006 Honda CBR motorcycle, and had been wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The other driver, Laderrein Johnson, 18, from Bartow, was not injured.
Mr. Johnson was the driver of a white, 1998 Mercedes Benz C230, and was wearing a seat belt.
According to the preliminary investigation, Mr. Schraenkler was driving east on South Frontage Road, and Mr. Johnson was driving westbound.
When Mr. Johnson came to an entrance driveway to the Interstate Commerce Park warehouses, he began to make a left (south) turn onto the driveway. His Mercedes entered the path of Mr. Schraenkler’s motorcycle.
Mr. Schraenkler began braking, leaving a skid mark measuring 130-feet long, leading to the point of collision.
Any civil or criminal charges are pending completion of the investigation which is ongoing.
Frontage Road was closed in both directions for about three hours.
