FHP: Driver falls asleep at the wheel on I-4, causes deadly crash
(Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol)
LAKELAND, Fla. - Florida troopers say a driver fell asleep at the wheel while on Interstate 4 in Polk County early Tuesday morning, causing a crash that killed a passenger in his car.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened just after 6 a.m., when the driver of a Lexus sedan fell asleep as he was traveling east in the outside lane of I-4 near County Line Road.
Investigators said the driver lost control of the car and went into the center lane of the highway, where it collided into the back of a Dodge pickup truck. The Lexus then spun and crashed into a concrete embankment.
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According to FHP, one female passenger inside the Lexus died. Investigators said she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Her age was not released.
(Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol)
The driver, a 41-year-old man from Orlando, and two other passengers, ages 18 and 23, suffered minor injuries in the crash. A 17-year-old who was also in the Lexus was not injured.
The driver of the pickup truck, a 48-year-old man from Ruskin, did not suffer any injuries.
No other information was immediately available.