WINTER HAVEN, FL — Traffic Homicide detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred early Sunday morning near Winter Haven.
First responders were dispatched at approximately 3:02 a.m. on May 31, 2026, to Thornhill Road just north of Sugar Creek Road. Upon arrival, deputies and emergency personnel found the driver deceased inside the vehicle. The victim was identified as a 33-year-old man from Auburndale.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the man was driving a gray Toyota Corolla southbound on Thornhill Road when he failed to negotiate a curve and left the roadway. The vehicle then struck a large tree on the driver’s side. Investigators said the driver was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Thornhill Road remained closed for approximately three hours while deputies processed the scene and conducted the investigation. The crash remains under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
