A pregnant 32-year-old Avon Park woman and her unborn child died Saturday evening after a semi-truck barreled through a red light at the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and U.S. Highway 98 in Frostproof, slamming into a line of stopped traffic and setting off a five-vehicle pileup. The crash happened just after 5:30 p.m. when a northbound 2022 International semi-truck failed to stop for stopped traffic and struck a 2021 Toyota Highlander at highway speed.
According to the Tampa Bay 28, a 2008 Honda Civic, a 2010 Toyota Corolla and the Highlander were all stopped in the northbound right lane of U.S. 27 at a red light when the International semi-truck plowed into the back of the Highlander. The impact shoved the SUV into the side of a 2008 Volvo semi-truck that was stopped in the adjacent left lane, per investigators, before the big rig also collided with the Corolla, which was then pushed into the rear of the Civic. The Highlander ultimately came to rest on the northeast corner of the intersection after being sent through it.
As reported by FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the Highlander sustained massive structural intrusion into its rear passenger compartment, where the pregnant Avon Park woman was riding. Deputies said she suffered critical injuries and was taken to a hospital, but she and her unborn child died despite lifesaving efforts by medical personnel, according to investigators. The Corolla's driver, a 37-year-old Avon Park woman, was identified as the most seriously injured survivor of the crash, while other victims were either treated and released or are expected to recover.
Semi-Truck Driver Walked Away With Minor Injuries
The 53-year-old Michigan man driving the International semi-truck suffered only minor injuries and was treated and released from a hospital, per the sheriff's office. After striking the passenger vehicles, the truck veered northeast and traveled roughly 400 feet across an open field, crossed a minor road, crashed through a fence, and came to rest with its front end in a shallow ditch, according to law enforcement records cited by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Investigators noted the driver failed to stop for unknown reasons, and occupants involved in the crash appeared to be wearing seat belts, per the sheriff's office.
U.S. 27 was closed for about six hours while crews investigated the crash and cleared the scene, and the investigation remains ongoing. The central open question, per the same reporting, is why the driver failed to recognize stopped traffic at the red light — toxicology results, electronic logging device data, and mechanical inspection findings are still pending with the Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic Homicide Unit.
What Florida Law Says About Killing an Unborn Child
Florida Statute § 782.071 explicitly defines vehicular homicide to include the killing of an unborn child caused by injury to the mother through reckless driving, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a minimum three-year driver's license revocation, according to Online Sunshine. But proving that charge requires prosecutors to show the driver acted with reckless disregard for safety — not simple negligence or momentary carelessness such as speeding alone — per Pumphrey Law. That distinction means investigators must first determine whether the driver's failure to stop met that higher legal bar before any charges could be filed.
A Dangerous Stretch of Highway
The Frostproof crash adds to a grim record for U.S. 27 in Polk County. Federal crash data published this year found the highway recorded 669 fatal crashes and 747 deaths across Florida between 2015 and 2024, with Polk County leading all 21 counties along the corridor with 119 fatal crashes and 132 deaths, according to an NHTSA/FARS analysis. The highway ranks as the fifth-deadliest in the state overall.
The Polk County Transportation Planning Organization reported in August that the county averaged two traffic deaths per week in 2025, with 19,352 total crashes, 104 fatalities and 347 severe injuries across its roadway network. Near Frostproof specifically, the Daily Ridge has documented other fatal U.S. 27 crashes this year, including a May rollover that killed a 36-year-old driver just north of U.S. 98 and a February crash in which a 68-year-old van driver died after turning into the path of a semi-truck. U.S. 27 in southern Polk County functions as a major high-speed freight corridor linking Central Florida to South Florida, frequently mixing long-haul commercial trucks with local commuter traffic from Frostproof and Avon Park, where rural speed limits reach 65 mph, according to Think Safe Insurance.
