On Tuesday, January 8, 2023, at approximately 6:09 a.m., a silver F-150 truck was traveling northbound on South Florida Avenue approaching the intersection of Belmar Street. At the same time, a marked Lakeland Police Department SUV was traveling southbound on South Florida Avenue, and behind it, a Mitsubishi SUV. According to a witness, the Ford truck began to pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed, entering the center lane against the solid yellow, no-passing lane. At some point, the truck collided with the police SUV and then also with the Mitsubishi. After the collision, the F-150 continued traveling north a short distance before exiting the roadway and colliding with the building identified as the Waller Center.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. The driver of the F-150 was declared deceased at the scene by medical personnel. The officer and driver of the Mitsubishi were transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately five hours while the scene was processed for the ongoing investigation.
This remains an open investigation. If anyone has any additional information regarding the crash, please contact investigating Officer Camilo Almeida at [email protected].
The Ford F-150 operator (deceased) was identified as:
Troy Davison
Age 52
Boca Raton, FL
The Lakeland Police Officer was identified as:
Andrea Smith
The Mitsubishi operator was identified as:
Lebrun Washington
Age 59
Austell, GA
