LAKE WALES, Fla. — A Lake Wales man was killed in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday evening, deputies say.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash just after 6:30 p.m. on SR-60 at Story Road. Based on witness statements and evidence, authorities said Duane Matthew Kolaski, 74, was driving east in a 2017 BMW X7 SUV when he drifted across the median and into the westbound lanes.
That's when the SUV reportedly collided with a 2021 Dodge 3500 pickup truck, driven by 45-year-old Maksim Zakharov of Orlando. A 24-year-old passenger was also in the Dodge.
Kolaski was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
The two Dodge passengers were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Law enforcement officials confirmed that both had their seatbelts on during the crash.
"So far it remains undetermined if Mr. Kolaski was wearing his [seatbelt]," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
