LAKE WALES, Fla. — A 19-year-old man died Thursday night near Lake Wales after a crash threw him from the SUV he was a passenger in, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies said the crash happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. Around that time, first responders with the sheriff's office and Polk County Fire Rescue were called to the area of Masterpiece Road near Longhorn Drive in Lake Wales.
When authorities arrived, they found three people, all under the age of 20, who had been involved in the single-car crash and rushed them to the hospital.
Jaeden Hill, 19, of Lake Wales, later died at the hospital from injuries he sustained in the crash.
Investigators say a 19-year-old man from Haines City was driving a gray Jeep Cherokee eastbound along Masterpiece Drive with Hill in the passenger seat and a 16-year-old boy in the back.
Deputies said the Jeep's driver lost control of the SUV for "unknown reasons," causing it to leave the road near Longhorn Drive. The Jeep collided with three mailboxes, a utility pole and then started flipping.
As this was happening, Hill was thrown from the Jeep.
The Jeep's driver and the 16-year-old boy were treated at the hospital and have since been released.
