A serious collision on Saturday night in Winter Haven involved a city firetruck and an SUV, resulting in critical injuries to the driver of the SUV. The incident occurred as the firetruck, carrying three firefighters, was returning to the station from a call and performing a left turn onto Dundee Road from Overlook Drive with a green light, according to a report by WFLA. The firefighters were unharmed and were immediately able to quickly begin rescue operations to assist the trapped driver of the Mercedes-Benz SUV.
The FOX 13 News reported that the collision caused significant damage to both vehicles involved. To further complicate the scene, a third vehicle was found to have been involved in the crash, although details on how it participated were not initially disclosed. The driver of the third vehicle was not injured.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office, who responded to the incident alongside Polk County Fire Rescue following the 10:22 p.m. crash report, indicated that speed and impairment might have been contributing factors. "The crash is under investigation, but investigators say that charges are anticipated," as FOX 13 News outlined, and law enforcement officials are expected to diligently investigate further.
After firefighters managed to extract the SUV's driver, he was air evacuated to a local trauma center, where he was reported to be in stable condition after initially being listed critical. The Tampa Bay 28 relayed a statement from the sheriff's office saying, "A preliminary investigation shows that high speed by the Mercedes-Benz driver appeared to be a factor in the crash. The driver may also have been impaired."
