By Carl Fish | Daily Ridge
As families across the country continue to process the devastating crash on State Road 60 last week, more details are emerging about two of the four lives lost.
Douglas V. Poole, 68, of Wilmington, Delaware, was among the four people killed in the February 4 multi vehicle crash just east of Lake Wales. Poole was traveling through Florida with his partner, Marian Melasecca Castiglione.
According to his brother, both Poole and Castiglione were passengers in the Chevrolet Equinox involved in the crash.
Investigators have stated that the Equinox was pushed into oncoming traffic during the chain reaction collision. All four occupants of the Equinox died at the scene.
At this time, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has not publicly released the names of all victims involved. However, Poole’s brother, Roger Poole, contacted Daily Ridge seeking additional information about video footage that captured the collision.
In his message, Roger Poole said his brother and Castiglione had just returned from a cruise to Cozumel (believed to be The Big Easy 2026 Cruise) and were driving across Florida from Fort Lauderdale, ultimately heading toward New Orleans. The driver and another passenger in the Equinox were believed to be from Port St. Lucie.
Douglas Poole grew up in Wilmington and graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in music composition. After years working in retail, he returned to his passion for music, playing piano for senior living communities throughout the Wilmington area.
He leaves behind two daughters, two stepsons, several grandchildren, and three brothers.
The February 4 collision involved five vehicles and eleven people. Several others were transported to area hospitals. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine what led to the sequence of events on SR 60.
For one family in Delaware and others connected to those involved, what began as a vacation ended in tragedy on a Polk County highway.
Daily Ridge will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
