Grady Judd: Mother, 9-year-old son killed in ‘devastating’ Polk County rollover crash
A Polk County mother and her son died in a car crash on Wednesday. Image is courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
LAKELAND, Fla. - Polk County investigators say heavy rain may have played a factor in a deadly crash that claimed the lives of a Lakeland mother and child Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Tera Kita, 43, and her 9-year-old Brandon Arcadipane, were traveling northbound on Tom Costine Road, west of Beverly Hills Road, in a 2000 Chevrolet S10 Blazer around 4:30 p.m. when the vehicle’s rear wheels lost traction and the SUV began to slide.
Investigators say the SUV then exited the road on the south shoulder where it flipped over and landed upside down in a water-filled ditch.
First responders say the mother and son died at the scene.
READ: 3 Lakeland teens killed in triple-vehicle crash, police say
"This is devastating - a family has lost a mother and a son, and our hearts break for them," stated Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Deputies say heavy rain was reported in the area at the time of the crash.
The road was closed for approximately 4 hours during the investigation, which remains ongoing.