Polk County man dies in crash near Lake Wales mobile home park

LAKE WALES, Fla. - A 57-year-old man passed away after a two-vehicle crash in Lake Wales, deputies said.

Polk County officials said they received a report of the fatal crash around 8:49 p.m. Thursday. Deputies responded to the scene in front of the Enchanted Mobile Home Park, located at 5137 Scenic Highway.

Investigators said it appears a 23-year-old driver of a red Ford F-150 was stopped in a northbound lane behind a vehicle that was turning into the mobile home park. That's when the driver of a black Nissan Rouge, later identified as Thomas Robert Mason of Lakeland, rear-ended the Ford pickup truck, deputies said.

Due to the impact, the two vehicles traveled northwest for about 70 feet before stopping on the west shoulder of Scenic Highway. 

Deputies said Mason wasn't wearing a seatbelt and died following the crash. The second driver was wearing a seatbelt.