On Thursday evening, February 18, 2021, a man driving the wrong way on U.S. 27, southwest of Frostproof, caused a head-on collision with another vehicle, causing fatal injuries to the other driver.
Upon the arrival of deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and members of Polk County Fire Rescue, 54-year-old Wendell Green of Babson Park was found deceased in his vehicle.
The crash occurred at about 8:50 PM, on U.S. 27 at Harvard Avenue.
According to the preliminary crash investigation, Mr. Green was driving a blue 2017 Toyota Corolla in the inside lane of northbound U.S. 27. Meanwhile, a white 2011 Ford F450 truck pulling a trailer was being driven by 75-year-old Everett Lucas of Niles, Michigan, going southbound in the northbound lanes.
Mr. Lucas told Traffic Homicide detectives that he had just turned onto the divided highway, and thought he was in the correct lane.
Neither of the drivers were wearing their seat belt at the time of the crash, but Mr. Lucas was not injured.
The crash, which remains under investigation, caused both directions of U.S. 27 to be closed for approximately four hours.
