Separate Crashes In Davenport, Mulberry Kill 2 People

DAVENPORT, FL — The Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating two crashes on Thursday that killed two people.

The first crash occurred at 2:36 p.m. at the intersection of Ernie Caldwell Boulevard and U.S 17-19 North in Davenport between an Infiniti 130t driven by 56-year-old Leonardo Pereira of Orlando and a Freightline Cascadia semi-truck with a refrigerated trailer driven by 43-year-old Felicien Blot of Kissimmee.

Traffic homicide investigators determined that Pereira was eastbound on Ernie Caldwell Boulevard while the Freightliner was traveling south on U.S. 17-92 North. Investigators said Pereira attempted to turn left onto U.S. 17-92 North, but didn't stop at the intersection and pulled out into the path of the Freightliner. The front of the truck struck the driver's side of the Infiniti.

Pereira died at the scene.

The roads in the area were closed for about four hours during the investigation.

Investigators are also looking into a single-car crash at 9:53 p.m. Thursday at State Road 60 West near the intersection of Coronet Road in Mulberry.

The driver of a Saturn, 27-year-old Laura Gonzalez of Lakeland, was westbound on SR 60 West and lost control. The Saturn crossed the outside lane and a right-hand turn lane before it struck a metal streetlight pole. The car flipped over onto its roof and landed in a ditch. The impact caused the streetlight to break and fall into the roadway.

Gonzalez was taken to the hospital, where she later died. Impairment was not a factor in the crash, investigators said.

Her passenger, 32-year-old Antonio Gutierrez of Lakeland, was taken to the hospital with injuries that aren't believed to be life-threatening.

A portion of the road was closed for about three hours during the investigation.