PCSO: Man hit, killed while walking along dark Winter Haven road

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash that took place early Thursday morning.

According to detectives, a man was walking along Buckeye Loop Road in Winter Haven around 1 a.m. when he was struck by a 2006 Toyota Corolla driven by 25-year-old Gabriel Mora.

Deputies say Mora was traveling northbound on the unlit road and did not see the man before hitting him.

READ: Lakeland man thrown off motorcycle in fatal crash, deputies say

The stretch of road where the deadly crash occurred does not have streetlights and any ambient light from a nearby neighborhood is blocked by a line of trees according to PCSO.

Though deputies say they have identified the victim, his name has not been released because they need to notify his next of kin.

Investigators say Mora did not appear to be impaired at the time of the crash.