POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating a crash that killed one man and critically injured another Tuesday morning.
Deputies were dispatched to the crash at around 10:21 a.m. along with Polk County Fire Rescue, a news release from the sheriff's office reports.
Divel Laurent, 55, was driving a white 2006 Lincoln Town Car east on I-4 with Jean Marie St. Gilles, 42, as a passenger, deputies explain. Both men were from Orlando.
PCSO's Traffic Homicide Investigations detectives were told by a witness that the car possibly got too close to another car which caused Laurent to jerk the wheel to the side.
While trying to avoid a collision, he lost control of the car, the sheriff's office explains. The Town Car rotated across the road before sliding into the median and crashing into an oak tree.
St. Gilles reportedly died at the scene of the crash while Laurent was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.
Detectives say both men were wearing seat belts. It was also raining at the time of the crash.
Two eastbound lanes were shut down for approximately three hours while units were on scene, the sheriff's office reports.
The investigation is still ongoing.
