A late-night collision between a bicycle and a motor scooter in the Kathleen area of Lakeland has resulted in the death of one man and left another fighting for his life.
Incident Details
Emergency crews from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene on Cherry Road, just north of Paul Brown Road, following emergency calls at approximately 11:12 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2026.
First responders found two adult male victims with severe injuries, who were immediately rushed to a local hospital for emergency treatment. The bicyclist, who suffered severe blunt force trauma, died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The second victim, who was operating the scooter, suffered severe head trauma and lacerations and is in critical condition.
A preliminary investigation by traffic deputies revealed that the bicyclist was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Cherry Road. A blue 2018 Sanmen Scooter was traveling south in that same lane, resulting in a violent, head-on crash. Investigators confirmed that both the bicycle and the scooter were equipped with lights, but are still working to determine if those lights were functional and turned on when the collision occurred. Neither man was wearing a helmet at the time of the impact.
The aftermath of the crash forced authorities to close the roadway for roughly three and a half hours to document the scene and clear debris. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has stated that the traffic investigation remains open and ongoing.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
