CYPRESS GARDENS, Fla. – A single-vehicle motorcycle crash early Saturday in Polk County took the life of a 26-year-old Winter Haven man, according to the sheriff’s office, which added speed likely played a factor in the wreck.
The crash occurred around 1:51 a.m. on westbound Cypress Gardens Boulevard near Cypress Gardens Road, a sheriff’s office Facebook post states.
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The motorcyclist, identified by the sheriff’s office as Freddie Wardlaw III, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the post.
Detectives, referencing evidence and witness statements, believe Wardlaw struck a curb while entering a slight curve in the roadway at a high rate of speed, striking the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union sign. Wardlaw was wearing a helmet in the crash yet suffered blunt force trauma injuries, the post states.
Westbound lanes of Cypress Gardens Boulevard were closed in the area for around three hours, the sheriff’s office said.
An investigation is ongoing.
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