3 Fatal Crashes On Saturday Under Investigation By Polk County Sheriff

POLK COUNTY, FL — Polk County sheriff's deputies are investigating three separate fatal accidents that took place Saturday.

At 1:51 a.m., 26-year-old Freddie Wardlaw III of Winter Haven died after crashing his 2004 Suzuki Sport motorcycle on Cypress Gardens Boulevard near Cypress Gardens Road.

According to the sheriff's office, Wardlaw was heading west on Cypress Gardens Boulevard at a high speed when he struck a curb while rounding a slight curve in the road and struck the Mid Florida Credit Union sign.

Wardlaw was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, but suffered blunt-force trauma injuries.

The westbound lanes of the boulevard were closed for about three hours.

At 8:11 p.m., a Lake Alfred man died following a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 27 near Charles Street southwest of Frostproof.

Sheriff's deputies said 38-year-old Bryam Torres was driving a gray 2011 Isuzu Trooper when he crashed. He was flown with life-threatening injuries to the hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The sheriff's traffic homicide unit is collecting evidence and witness statements.

The unit has determined that Torres was traveling north on U.S. 27 when the Isuzu Trooper left the road while rounding a slight curve. The Isuzu Trooper flipped multiple times and Torres, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown out of the Trooper.

The two northbound lanes of U.S. 27 were shut down for an hour, then operated with only one northbound lane for an additional two hours.

The third fatal crash took place at 11:55 p.m. Saturday on New Tampa Highway (U.S. 92) in Lakeland, about 1,000 feet east of the Polk Parkway.

The crash involved two pickup trucks: a black 2009 Chevrolet and a white 2004 Toyota.

According to the sheriff's office, the Toyota, driven by 51-year-old Selestino Vega Bocanegra Mata of Lakeland, was headed east on New Tampa Highway and the Chevy, driven by 25-year old Leonardo Barrera Zurita of Lakeland, was heading west when the Chevy crossed the center line and struck the Toyota.

All the occupants were wearing seat belts.

Mata died at the scene. Zurita was taken to the hospital and treated for a broken leg and hand.

A passenger in the Chevy truck, 32-year-old Frederico Garcia Duran of Lakeland, was treated for bruises and abrasions.

The road was closed in both directions for about four hours.