A two vehicle crash north of Davenport on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, resulted in the death of one driver, while the other driver suffered no injuries.
The crash occurred at around 4:19 am on US 17/92 North, just south of the intersection with Ernie Caldwell Boulevard.
Upon arrival by members from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue, 34-year old Luis Garcia III of Clay County was determined to be deceased.
The other driver, 29-year old Kevin Fontanez of Winter Haven was not injured.
The preliminary investigation by PCSO Traffic Homicide investigators revealed that Mr. Garcia had been driving a white 2011 Dodge Charger and traveling south on US 17/92 North.
Mr. Fontanez was driving a green 2013 Mack semi-truck and traveling north on the same road.
As the two vehicles approached each other, Mr. Garcia’s Charger struck the semi-truck head-on. It is currently unknown why the Charger crossed into the northbound lane, but the crash remains under investigation.
Mr. Fontanez was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, but Mr. Garcia was not.
US 17/92 was completely shut down between Lem Carnes Road and Ernie Caldwell Boulevard for about five hours.
