LAKELAND, Fla. — A mom and her young son were killed Wednesday afternoon after their SUV lost traction and flipped into a water-filled ditch in Lakeland, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The crash happened amid heavy rainfall in the area around 4:30 p.m. as Tera Kita, 43, was driving a gold 2000 Chevrolet S10 Blazer heading north, the agency said in a news release. Deputies say as she began to take the right-hand curve, the rear wheels of the SUV lost traction and began to slide.
The SUV reportedly ran off the road into the south shoulder, where it rolled upside down into a water-filled ditch, deputies said.
Kita and her 9-year-old son, Brandon Arcadipane, died at the scene of the crash.
“This is devastating - a family has lost a mother and a son, and our hearts break for them.” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
Deputies said heavy rain had been reported in the area at the time of the crash. An investigation is ongoing.