WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A 43-year-old man, who is known to walk around the east Winter Haven area, was hit and killed by a car Thursday morning, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The man, who deputies say was homeless, was walking in the middle of Cypress Gardens Boulevard, east of the intersection with Lake Ruby Drive, when a 58-year-old Iowa man driving a Kia Soul hit him at about 1:15 a.m. The driver told the Polk County Sheriff's Office he saw the man "seconds before impact" and braked, but was unable to avoid hitting him, according to a news release from deputies.
The man is known to frequently cross the four-lane highway to go to the 7-Eleven store and Murphy gas station. Deputies said the area is not "designated for pedestrian travel."
First responders performed CPR on the man but he was declared dead at the scene.
Deputies said the driver wasn't impaired but they are investigating if the pedestrian was.
