LAKELAND, Fla. – A 50-year-old Lakeland man was killed in a wrong-way crash after his sedan struck a curb and entered the direct path of an oncoming pickup truck, according to police.
The crash occurred around 8:49 p.m. Saturday in the 4100 block of State Road 33, the Lakeland Police Department said in a news release.
The Lakeland man was driving a sedan southbound on S.R. 33 as a pickup truck carrying four occupants — a 36-year-old Illinois man driving and a 39-year-old Polk City woman riding as a passenger with two children, ages 12 and 5 — traveled northbound, the release states.
For unknown reasons, the sedan struck the west curb before entering the median and crossing into the northbound lanes of S.R. 33, striking the front of the pickup truck.
The sedan driver — identified as Maurice Knight — was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, adding the driver and passengers of the pickup truck were hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The roadway was partially shut down for around four hours, the release states.
An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact Traffic Crash Investigator Officer Camilo Almeida at camilo.almeida@lakelandgov.net.
Note: This map depicts the general area of this crash and not necessarily its exact location.
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