Three people were killed last evening, in a violent four-vehicle crash on Commonwealth Avenue (State Road 33) north of Polk City. Two motorcyclists were pronounced dead at the scene, and the 75-year-old driver of a northbound car later died at a hospital. The collision scattered debris across the roadway and shut down the stretch of SR-33 for hours while investigators documented the wreckage.
What authorities say
Deputies were dispatched at about 8:26 p.m. to the 15000 block of State Road 33, where first responders found two motorcyclists already deceased. Occupants of a red 2013 Dodge Charger were rushed to a hospital, and the driver later died, according to WFTV.
How the crash unfolded
Traffic Homicide detectives say the motorcycles, a black 2022 Harley Davidson and a red-and-black 2017 Harley Davidson, were traveling side by side in the southbound lanes when a red Dodge Charger moved into the southbound lane to pass three vehicles and hit both bikes head-on, as reported by DailyRidge. Witnesses told investigators that the impact threw the male rider from his motorcycle, and he then struck a white 2011 Jeep Compass that was among the northbound vehicles being passed.
Victims identified
The northbound driver who died was identified as 75-year-old Richard Lee Logan of Clermont. His passenger, 75-year-old Janice M. Logan, suffered minor injuries, according to Action News Jax. The two motorcyclists, an adult man and an adult woman from Florida's Sun Coast area, had not been publicly named as of the latest reports, pending notification of next of kin.
Road impact and investigation
Commonwealth Avenue was closed for roughly four and a half hours while detectives documented the scene and cleared the vehicles, according to WFTV. DailyRidge reports that no charges are anticipated as the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit continues to investigate.
A troubling pattern
This deadly crash is the latest in a string of fatal collisions in Polk County this month, including a recent I-4 ramp death and a Winter Haven wreck in which a lakeside crash killed a 79-year-old driver. Local authorities say investigations into each of these crashes remain active as they work to determine contributing factors and any potential liability.
