A late-night collision on State Road 33 in Lakeland left a woman dead after she walked into the path of an oncoming SUV early Sunday morning.
Lakeland police officers responded to the 5700 block of State Road 33 at approximately 12:37 a.m. on June 28 after receiving reports of a crash involving a pedestrian.
Prior to the impact, a black Mitsubishi SUV was traveling southbound along the roadway. Investigators stated that the pedestrian entered the path of the vehicle for unknown reasons and was struck.
Emergency responders from the Lakeland Police Department Patrol Units, the Lakeland Fire Department, and Polk County Fire Rescue quickly arrived at the scene to provide life-saving medical care. The woman was transported to Lakeland Regional Health, where medical professionals later pronounced her deceased.
The driver of the Mitsubishi, identified as 48-year-old Demetrius Berry of Lakeland, was not injured in the incident.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the location and took over the investigation. Authorities closed down the roadway for approximately three and a half hours to process the scene and gather evidence before reopening it to traffic.
Police confirmed that the case remains an open and active investigation. Though detectives have identified the adult female victim, her name is currently being withheld while authorities work to notify her next of kin.
Officer Travis Payne is leading the investigation. Anyone who has additional information or witnessed the crash is asked to contact him directly at [email protected].
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
