POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A 47-year-old Winter Haven man was killed in a crash that eventually caused his car to burst into flames, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
It happened just after 7 p.m. Wednesday off of SR 544 in Polk County, officials said. The man, who was driving a Volkswagen Tiguan, was going westbound on the highway. At the same time, a 24-year-old man was driving eastbound on the highway in a Toyota Supra.
At the intersection of 16th Street NW, the man driving the Volkswagen turned left into the path of the Toyota and crashed into it.
The impact caused the Volkswagen to rotate to finally rest in the median and catch on fire, according to FHP. The Toyota, meanwhile, went off the roadway and crashed into a utility pole, resulting in a power outage in the area.
The man driving the Volkswagen died from his injuries at the scene of the crash, authorities said. The driver of the Toyota was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
