The PCSO Traffic Homicide Investigations Unit is investigating a traffic fatality that occurred in Lake Wales this morning on State Road 60 West at West Lake Wales Road North.
Around 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, there was a two-vehicle crash in the intersection involving a 2026 Freightliner semi-truck and a 2022 Kia K5 sedan. The driver of the Kia, a 32-year-old Bartow man, was deceased upon first responders’ arrival. His passenger, a 37-year-old Winter Haven woman, was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The semi was heading east on SR 60 when, for unknown reasons, the Kia – which was also heading east – crashed into the back of it. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt but the airbags did deploy.
The investigation is ongoing.
