Saturday, May 20th, In-Gauge of Polk County donated a STOP THE BLEED, emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kit to the Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation, in rural Lake Wales.
Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation Chief Ranger Kevin Slater accepted the kit on behalf of the Scout reservation.
Saturday, May 20th, In-Gauge of Polk County donated a STOP THE BLEED, emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kit to the Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation, in rural Lake Wales. Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation Chief Ranger Kevin Slater accepted the kit on behalf of the scout reservation.
May is National STOP THE BLEED Month and in an effort to generate public awareness of the ability to prevent needless deaths, due to traumatic blood loss, through simple easy to use techniques, with simple, easy to use equipment, In-Gauge of Polk County is donating emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kits to high-risk venues.
Saturday’s donation to the Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation was In-Gauge’s second donation to a non-profit organization in as many weeks. Two weeks ago In-Gauge donated a STOP THE BLEED kit to the Florida Frontiersmen’s Alafia River Rendezvous Park shooting sports program.
In-Gauge will be donating emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kits to other non-profit organizations throughout the month of May.
Janet Ergle, a certified STOP THE BLEED instructor, with In-Gauge, said they will continue donating kits to worthy, non-profit organizations throughout May. “We have several other organizations currently waiting to receive their kits.” “We will get their kits to them as quickly as we can.” “We will be busy the next couple of weeks.” said Ergle.
Any non-profit organization having the need for a kit, can request one by simply sending an email request to [email protected] or through ‘CONTACT US‘ on the In-Gauge website. Requests will be evaluated and granted based on need.
In-Gauge of Polk County, an NRA chartered, non-profit organization, in Winter Haven, Florida specializes in firearms safety training and is a licensed affiliate ofSTOPTHEBLEED.org. In addition to conducting firearms training, In-Gauge offers free STOP THE BLEED training clinics to the public.
In-Gauge will be conducting free, official STOP THE BLEED training clinics throughout the month of May. Day and afternoon, weekday and weekend classes are being conducted. Pre-registration is required for participation. Registration for the clinics can be done on the In-Gauge website or through EVENTBRITE.
On Sunday, May 21, 2023, at approximately 3:35 p.m., officers responded to a traffic crash involving a single vehicle near the area of County Line Road and Swindell Road. Just before the crash, a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox was traveling northbound on County Line Road, approaching the intersection of Swindell Road. At some point, the vehicle hit the curb, struck a stop sign, and continued across Swindell Road before leaving the roadway and striking a tree.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived on the scene to begin life-saving measures. The driver, Byron Ihle, age 84, from Ocala, was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.
This remains an open investigation. Anyone with additional information regarding the crash should contact investigating Officer Tyler Anderson at [email protected].
On May 20th, Polk County Animal Control will host another FREE adoption day. Animal Control is attempting to increase our life-saving measures by removing adoption barriers and getting all of our animals into loving homes forever.
The adoption hours are 10am-4pm on Saturday, May 20th. Animal Control is located at 7115 Decastro Rd. Winter Haven, FL 33880.
LAKELAND, FL (May 18, 2023) – On May 18, 2023, at approximately 4:43 a.m., a City of Lakeland street sweeper was working and traveling northbound on North Tennessee Avenue. The sweeper turned right onto East Oak Street and after negotiating the turn, the driver felt an impact. After checking his surroundings and seeing nothing, the driver proceeded to move forward in an eastbound direction. It was at that time the driver observed a pedestrian lying on the roadway behind the vehicle. The driver immediately exited the cab of the sweeper and called 911.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived on scene, and it was determined that the pedestrian was deceased. The driver of the sweeper did not suffer any injuries sustained in the crash.
At this time, traffic homicide detectives are unsure what the pedestrian was doing in the roadway at the time of the crash. Detectives are still attempting to locate the deceased’s next of kin.
The scene was photographed for the continuing investigation.
The driver of the street sweeper was identified as:
Terry Pelham
Age: 57
City of Lakeland Employee – 17 Years
The pedestrian was identified as:
Male
Age 70
(name is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin)
A 15-year old male was arrested by detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office early Thursday morning, May 18, 2023, and charged with attempted murder and other crimes.
The suspect is Demarion Wilson of Mulberry. His charges include: Attempted Murder (FL, 3-counts), Attempted Armed Burglary (F2), Discharging a Firearm in a Public Place (M1), and Possession of Marijuana (M1) and Paraphernalia (M1). The investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely.
PCSO Deputies responded to the McDonald’s restaurant at 1805 Shepherd Road in Lakeland, following reports of gunshots in the parking lot, at about 1:38 am.
Wilson attempted to rob an employee at gun-point behind the restaurant. The victim told two people in a parked vehicle nearby to call 911, and Wilson fired three shots toward the car, striking it once. Wilson fled the scene on foot, and none of the victims were injured.
Deputies created a perimeter around the area and a K-9 Unit located Wilson hiding in the bushes behind a Publix shopping plaza. He was in possession of a Glock 9mm and a black mask.
“It’s aggravating that a 15-year old would be out in the middle of the night robbing people at gunpoint and shooting at people. It’s completely unacceptable, so we’re going meet with the State Attorney’s Office about charging this suspect as an adult. We need juveniles to realize that we’re not going to tolerate such abhorrent, dangerous behavior.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
For homicide detectives, serial killers are a dime a dozen, and investigating their cases are part of the job description; but what happens when the killer’s killing spree gets too close to home?
Homicide detective Cal Miller faces that dilemma in “The Dicer”, the debut novel of local author A.B Kayge. As the story description explains: the case becomes “very personal” to Miller as soon as he is placed on leave. With body after body turning up, he and his partner need to crack the case “before it’s too late.” But will they solve it in time?
Born in Vero Beach, raised in Lakeland, and currently residing in Bartow, A.B. Kayge is a proud mother of three children and the wife of a loving husband for the past 22 years. During her spare time–which she claims she doesn’t have enough of—she had been typing away at a crime thriller, which she finally had published as her debut novel, “The Dicer.”
A.B. Kayge owes her venture into becoming an author to her parents, both of whom were “huge connoisseurs” of reading who would “read books like it was nothing.” Growing up, she quickly inherited their love of reading and writing. Her biggest literary influence, bar none, was Stephen King. She was also inspired by Nora Roberts and Stephanie Meyer, providing equal parts intrigue, suspense, and allure to her stories.
However, while she loved to read, many of the books she read proved too trite and predictable. After all, a bad mystery or horror story is one whose plot can easily be predicted by reading the first few pages or chapters, which was a common problem for A.B. So, like any good writer, she decided to write her own story.
“It got to the point where I could figure out within the first couple of chapters who did what,” she said. “I would get frustrated with that because it was no fun for me when I got to the end of the book to already have known who did it. So, my thought was I want to write a book and I want it to be something like the movie The Sixth Sense where everybody was like…I did not see that coming. And that is how it all came about.”
A.B. Kayge wrote the manuscript for “The Dicer” in over a year. She was fortunate enough to have both of her parents, along with her husband, help her through the process of beta reading and proofreading. As she explained: “Both of them became my side readers and were able to tell me if I was missing plot holes to needed to explain something further.”
Initially, A.B. Kayge self-published her novel as an e-book. Over the next five years, she researched various publishing companies and submitted queries to have her book traditionally published. After coming across a local writer’s group, she was able to go through that process more easily and finally become picked up by traditional publishing.
Currently, she has started writing the second book in her thriller series. She will also be one of many local authors attending the upcoming Writers Block Part and Street Fair, to be hosted in Bartow on Sat. May 20. For more information, visit bartowcon.com/
“The Dicer” is currently available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Readers House. To learn more about it, visit the book’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ABKayge
A.B. Kayge was recently interviewed on the podcast “Chattin on the Ridge”, where she discussed her book and her writing career. Listen to the podcast on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chattinontheridge/episodes/Ep–04-A-B–Kayge-e242blt
Tyler doesn’t have an easy life living in a family of success stories. His mother is a doctor. His father is a lawyer. His older brother went to college on an athletic scholarship. And his younger brother always makes the honor roll. Yet the only success Tyler ever had was with video games.
With the start of a new school year, Tyler hopes to turn his luck around. He aspires to make the team and make the grade. He even made friends with the new girl in town, Amber. Will she be able to help him achieve the same success as the rest of his family? He’ll need to overcome temptations from some real losers at school to do so.
*****
Recap:Tyler really wants to make something of himself this school year. He’s determined to join the baseball team and ace his upcoming algebra test. Problem is, he’s not very good at math. So, he’s recruited the help of the new girl, Amber, to tutor him during study hall. Temptation arises when an old friend, Hannah, informs him of someone who has the test answers. Tyler refuses to cheat and chooses instead to study hard. Will his integrity and determination pay off?
*****
Chapter 6: Tests, Allies, Enemies
After practicing for nearly a week, Tyler had significantly improved his batting swing. Once more, he stood inside the batting cage to test his luck. This time around, he landed more hits, though he still made plenty of misses. Once more, the machine launched a ball, he swung his bat, and—
“Hey, Tyler!” a familiar voice called out to him.
Missed!
Amber stared back at him through the netting. The loud hum of the pitching machine came to a stop, and Tyler set down his bat.
“Amber,” he greeted her through heavy breath. “Hey! What are you doing out here?”
Amber jabbed a thumb to the arcade building. “My Dad decided to treat Chelsea and I to a night out. We just wrapped up a game of mini golf, and now Dad and Chels are inside playing a round of skeeball.”
“Interesting he would take you two out on a school night,” Tyler replied.
Amber shrugged. “He works irregular hours and shifts. Now was the best night he could schedule something like this, before it gets too cool outside. And you?”
Tyler leaned against his bat. “Baseball tryouts are tomorrow, and I wanted to blow off some steam after today’s math test.”
“You seem like a pretty good player,” Amber said.
Tyler put a hand on his hip. “Thanks. But you need to be better than pretty good to make the team. Hey, have you ever played in a batting cage before?”
Amber shook her head. “I never learned to play baseball.”
Tyler held the bat out to her. “You want to give it a try?”
Amber shrugged her shoulders with a smirk and opened the cage door. “Why not.”
Tyler handed her the bat. She held it over her shoulder and faced the batting machine.
“Do I hold it like this?” she asked him.
Tyler pantomimed the proper way to hold it. “Just raise your hand a little higher—yeah, that’s perfect. Now, keep your eye on the machine and wait for the light.”
He dropped a token into the slot, the machine revved up, and the lights flickered. Tyler once more pantomimed holding a bat.
“Now,” he told her, “the key to landing a hit is to hold it nice and steady and—”
Amber swung and hit the ball clear across the cage. Both she and Tyler blinked in astonishment.
“Whoa!” Amber exclaimed.
“Huh?” Tyler added. “Lucky first try. Not sure if you’ll be as lucky as—”
With another pitch came another hit from Amber, giggling in sheer glee.
“Nice.” Tyler said with a chuckle. “Third time’s the charm.”
Amber swung, missing the ball by several inches as it slammed into the netting.
“Aw!” Tyler uttered through a laugh. “Seems like your luck ran out.”
“This is kind of fun,” Amber said.
“You sure you never played before?” Tyler asked. “Maybe you should try out for the team.”
Amber shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not a fan of sports.”
A sharp wolf whistle made them both crane their necks toward the netting. Tyler rolled his eyes when he saw three familiar faces peering through it.
“Yo, Tyler!” T-Man said with a chortle. “You and your new girlfriend out on a date?”
Amber blushed in response. Tyler’s face also turned red, though not in embarrassment.
“We’re, uh, we’re not dating,” Tyler stammered.
“Like, you must be the new girl, Amber,” Katie said through a giggle.
“Yeah,” Amber replied. “I think I’ve seen you three around at school. And you—” she pointed at Hannah. “You’re in our study hall period. Sorry, forgot your name.”
“That’s okay.” Hannah chewed a wad of gum. “Names are a social construct anyway. It’s a futile attempt to give people meaning in a meaningless universe.”
“So,” Tyler interjected. “What brings you three out here?”
T-Man clapped his hands so loudly it drew the attention of everyone nearby.
“Just wanted to go an invite you two to a party tomorrow night,” he said, flashing two peace signs. “It’s gonna be ballah!”
Katie nodded. “Yeah, like, T-Man is going to be playing with his band and everything. And all the popular kids are totally going to be there.”
“I’m going, too,” Hannah added. “I’ll be in my usual spot: in the corner with a drink in hand contemplating the existential dread of my life.”
“In other words,” T-Man said, “it’s going to be the main event of the century. So—” he pointed to the other two, “you two in?”
Amber cocked an eyebrow, uncertainty clear on her face. “Isn’t tomorrow a school night.”
T-man chuckled and shrugged both shoulders. “Yeah, but who cares?”
“Well…” Amber clicked her tongue. “I would have to ask my Dad, and he’d probably say no, but—”
Tyler held up his hand, his glance steady on T-Man. “Is there going to be adult supervision?”
“Well,” T-Man quickly glanced in either direction. “My parents are going to be home.”
“I know your parents,” Tyler replied. “They’re real loose. Just because they’re at home doesn’t mean they’ll be supervising. And what about drinks? What are you having there?”
T-Man sucked in breath. “You know: soda—and a little something extra.”
“Yeah,” Tyler replied. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass.”
“Same here,” Amber added. “Even if I wanted to go, my Dad wouldn’t let me.”
Katie snorted. “You two still do what your mommy and daddy want you to?”
“The nuclear family,” Hannah said, “is a social fiction invented by capitalists to get us to conform to upper-class white bourgeoise hegemony.”
T-Man could only blow a raspberry and swat his hands. “Ah, well, when you two want to get down with your bad selves, just hit me up at my place tomorrow. You know where I live, and you’re always welcome.”
When the three walked away. Tyler blew a sharp breath and picked up his bat.
“Losers,” he said under his breath. “Am I right?”
Amber cocked an eyebrow at him. “That’s kind of harsh. Rather mean, too.”
Tyler inserted a coin and the machine warmed up. “You heard them. They’re hosting an unsupervised party with alcohol.” He hit a ball that launched at him. “They’re total losers.”
“Well,” Amber said, “obviously, they’re not good, but—”
“But what?” Tyler swung and missed. “It’s bad to call them what they are? A spade’s a spade.”
“Look,” Amber held up her hands, remaining calm. “I’m not condoning anything they’re doing, and I wouldn’t exactly associate with them, but—you still shouldn’t go around judging people like that.”
“Why not?” Tyler swung and hit. “You don’t know them like I do. If you did, you’d understand why I don’t want anything to do with them.”
“Okay, and you’re right to do that,” Amber replied. “But—you know, my momma used to tell me all the time: never go pointing fingers at people, because you only end up pointing three fingers back at you.”
“Yeah?” Tyler asked, before taking another swing and a miss. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Amber answered, “people only go around judging other people for their faults as an excuse not to look at their own. You know, tend to your own business before poking your nose into others’.”
“Oh?” Tyler turned briefly to place a hand on his hip before returning to his game. “And what, exactly, are the faults I’m trying to ignore? I’m not a slacker like T-Man.” Swing. “Or an airhead like Katie.” Swing. “Or a cynic like Hannah.” Swing. “And I’m not as bad as any of them.
Amber folded her arms with a stern look but maintained a calm composure. “No, but you are awfully hard on yourself. And you’re hard on others. And I think it’s only because you’re so hard on yourself.”
Tyler missed one last time and threw down his bat. “I’m only hard on myself because I know I can be better. No one wants to be friends with a loser.”
“That’s not true,” Amber replied. “I want to be friends with you. And you’re not a loser.”
Tyler stood with arms akimbo.
“Okay.” He returned his glance at her, steadying his breathing to calm down. “So, why are you friends with me?”
“Because,” Amber bit her lip and thought for a second. “I guess I’m just a loser as well, and we losers need to look out for each other.”
Silence passed between them.
“I have to get back to Dad and Chels, now,” she told him as she opened the gate to exit. She closed it behind her and made sure it was secure. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m always available to listen.”
She waved as she walked away. Tyler waved back, then picked up his back and inserted another coin.
###
“Tyler’s Journey” is a side-story to the fantasy novel, “The Light Prince Grail.” The story follows Tyler’s life before he and Amber ventured into the fantastical world of Arden. It details his many personal struggles and how they influenced his decisions in the novel. His story will help readers learn more about themselves as they do about him.
“The Light Prince: Grail” and “Tyler’s Journey” are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon. For more information, visit the author’s website at: jcalexandre.com
J.C. Alexandre will also be one of the participating authors at the inaugural Writer’s Block Part and Street Fair, to be hosted on Sat. May 20 in Downtown Bartow. Feel free to visit him and pick up a copy of his books in-person. For more information, visit their website at: bartowcon.com
Nefi Jenkins started life humbly as the daughter of missionaries. However, following their untimely murder, she discovers that not all was as it seems. She learns her parents were part of a bigger conspiracy, and now it was up to her to unravel the mystery that fell into her lap.
In East of Evil, the fourth and final installment of the Compass Crimes series, Nefi inherits a ten-million-dollar trust from her deceased parents—only to discover that a good lion’s share has gone missing. Will she locate the missing funds? And who or what is responsible for its disappearance?
Written by local author Joni M. Fisher, the Compass Crimes suspense series is an epic tale that effortlessly combines suspense and mystery with a healthy amount of faith. After all, when it feels like the whole world is after you, it helps when you have someone looking out for you.
“Combining the elements of a police procedural and a suspense thriller, Fisher tics all the boxes for a compelling crime novel that keeps readers turning pages to the satisfying conclusion,” one person wrote at U.S. Review.
Fisher received her first check for writing by winning a poetry contest at age 16. Since then and before, she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her family encouraged her to pursue a career as a journalist.
Her pursuit led her to the University of Indiana, well-renowned for its excellent journalism program. During her four years there, she worked as a reporter for the college newspaper. She covered the theatrical arts beat, which entailed writing reviews of the latest performances.
“It was fun,” she said. “I had free tickets to go to everything from opera to magic shows and plays and rock concerts and I was able to review them. My other colleagues were hot and bothered about work reporting the NCAA sports. I really loved theater so much more, and that is what I was able to do.”
After graduating college and working for several years as a professional journalist, Fisher decided to leap from the world of non-fiction to fiction. The transition proved rather tricky, as it involved her unlearning many of the skills she learned as a journalist.
“In journalism school, they beat point of view out of you,” she said. “Basically, my editor said, ‘If you want your opinion, I’ll ask you for it.’ Otherwise, the training is about being objective. Presenting both sides of an issue. Getting good quotes and being impartial and letting your reader decide about the issue…It is tough for me because you do not go into it with a point of view, and I was not ready for that.”
Fisher decided to develop her own point of view by writing a monthly column. By writing in first-person, she was able to flesh out her own personal writing style, preparing her to write her own point of view through fiction.
“So, then I started working on a novel,” Fisher said. “Even then, it was hard to work in my point of view. And from that, to do that, I drew from my theater classes. Getting inside the character’s head, work around and see where it goes from there.”
Her Compass Crimes series has earned her acclaim, winning awards through national and state contests. The hardest part for her was figuring out which category to submit her work under. While her books count as thrillers and suspense, they also contain plenty of Christian themes about faith and courage.
“In the publishing world, if your character has any faith, your book is labeled as a religious book or a Christian fiction,” she explained. “But Christianity is part of my character. It is not how I want to set the tone. It is part of who they are…To me, my characters demonstrate how their faith is tested, and what they do about their crime. They are not waiting around for a man to save them. They have to go out and find out themselves and put themselves at risk to see what is going on and bring somebody to justice. So, for my characters to have faith is part of their personality and part of who they are, and it is what drives them to do the hard thing instead of the easy thing.”
Her next big story will be about an art appraiser uncovering a money laundering scheme in the art world. Fisher takes special enjoyment in writing that, as she has been working closely with a context expert as a consultant on the project.
“If you look in the news, it [these types of crime] happens all the time,” Fisher said.
East of Evil debuts on May 7, 2023. Pre-orders are $1.99. The price goes to $5.99 in May. For more information, visit her website at: https://jonimfisher.com/
Polk County is becoming the fastest-growing county in Florida. In the past three years alone, more than 80,000 new residents moved to the county. That number is equal to the combined population of Winter Haven, Lake Wales, and Dundee, or roughly two-thirds of the population of Lakeland.
Some people are moving to Polk County to retire. Others are seeking better jobs and lower taxes. Sheriff Judd has talked to many new residents, and they have told him that they moved to Florida to escape the rampant crime waves of the cities up north.
“Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t say, ‘I moved to Florida to get away from the crime.
I want to feel safe and be safe,’” Sheriff Judd said. “Well, you can feel safe because you are.”
However, Sheriff Judd has important advice to newcomers seeking the safety and security of Polk County: don’t vote the same way they voted up north.
“We welcome you with open arms, and we are glad you are here,” he said. “But do me a favor: don’t vote the way the majority of people voted in the state that you came from, or else we will have here what they have there because all of that is a policy decision.”
Sheriff Judd shared this advice during a Chamber Power Luncheon, hosted by the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce at Vanguard School on Wednesday.
Currently, Polk County is experiencing a record 51-year-low crime rate. The crime rate in Polk County is about 1.1 crimes per 100 people per year. The state of Florida’s is about 2 crimes per 100 people per year. In stark contrast, many other cities have crime rates between 12 to 20 per 100 people per year, Judd claimed.
Sheriff Judd owes these all-time lows due to their “tough-on-crime” approach to law enforcement. Unlike other states and cities, Polk County takes crime seriously. They do not allow criminals to walk away with a slap on the wrist. If someone commits a crime, Sheriff Judd and his deputies ensure that the person sees a jail cell.
For example, Sheriff Judd recalled a domestic incident involving visitors from up north. When his deputies arrived on the scene, the culprit pushed passed one deputy and punched the person who had called. His deputy then introduced the culprit’s face to the ground before loading him into a patrol car. When informed he was going to jail, the suspect complained that this wasn’t how things were handled in New York City.
“Sire, look around,” the deputy told him. “Do you see the Empire State Building? We’re not in New York City. We’re in Polk County.”
In contrast, Sheriff Judd mentioned an incident in another city where a woman had called the police about a man trespassing in her backyard. The officers arrived, escorted him to the front
yard, and gave him a citation before driving away and leaving him standing in her front yard. Before they left, the woman asked why they were leaving the man at her house. The officers replied it was against the law to put him in jail.
“They moved him from her backyard to her front yard,” Sheriff Judd said. “She did not feel safe.”
Before closing, Sheriff Judd told the audience that, if they wanted to see crime rates remain low, they needed to vote for people committed to keeping it low by properly enforcing and supporting local law enforcement. They needed to vote for the “right people” on the local, county, and state levels.
“I thank you that you put the decision-makers in place to make the right decisions at the right time,” he said. “So, pat yourself on the back and say we deserve the best police services in the nation and the people we hire do it the right way.”
Sheriff Judd shared his powerful message at the Chamber Power Luncheon on Tuesday. The event was hosted by the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce at Vanguard School. The event presenting sponsor was Atlantic Blue Capital, the table sponsor was Low Payment Kings, and the supporting sponsor was Shield Medical Group.
Ellis Hunt Jr., Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, likewise commended the Honorable Sheriff and his team for making Polk County a safe place to move and live. He boasted how residents can “take for granted you can dial 911 and help is minutes away” all through the hard work of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
David Dlugokecki, Chairman of the Lake Wales Chamber, boasted about how many new people were planning on moving to Florida, and how the city of Lake Wales was planning the right way for this growing population. He owed this population and economic growth to the safety and security provided by Sheriff Judd.
“It is no secret that people are fleeing big cities and finding a safe place to raise children,” Dlugokecki said. “Thank you, Grady. People who come here like hearing what a safe place to live. With you and your team, that is important to us.”
The Traffic Homicide Unit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fatal crash involving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), Saturday evening north of Lakeland.
The crash was reported to the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) at about 9:00 pm on Saturday, May 13, 2023, and deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched to the crash scene on Wildlife Trail.
35-year old Roger Tyer, Jr. of Lakeland was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.
According to the preliminary investigation, Mr. Tyer’s green 2023 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV flipped over and landed on top of him.
The 911-caller found Mr. Tyer about 30-minutes after the crash, still pinned under the ATV, and life-saving measures began.
Mr. Tyer was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
