LAKELAND – An 82-year-old Lakeland man was killed during the early morning hours of Friday, October 17, 2025, after crashing his motorcycle into a tree.
According to Carrie Horstman, Media Relations Administrator for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the PCSO Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call around 12:30 a.m. from a resident on Fitzgerald Road in Lakeland who reported hearing the crash.
Preliminary evidence indicates the rider was operating a 2005 Honda motorcycle eastbound on Fitzgerald Road, approaching the intersection with Francis Pipkin Road, when for unknown reasons the bike left the roadway and entered the front yard of a nearby home, striking a large oak tree.
The impact ejected the rider from the motorcycle. He was pronounced deceased upon the arrival of first responders. Authorities noted he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing.
