AUBURNDALE, FL — A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was involved in a serious crash with a black pickup truck on Sunday morning, October 18, on Old Dixie Highway near Delon Court in Auburndale, resulting in the mail van catching fire and the postal worker being transported to a local hospital.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews received the call at approximately 10:06 a.m. The mail carrier called to report that he had been involved in a crash and was trapped inside his burning van before the call disconnected.
Fire rescue crews reported seeing a column of smoke from a distance as they responded to the scene.
According to witnesses, Good Samaritans rushed to help the mail carrier escape the burning postal van. At approximately 10:14 a.m. the mail carrier was out of the vehicle. When fire rescue crews arrived on scene, the mail carrier was lying near the roadway. The driver of the black pickup truck was able to exit his vehicle and was seen by our reporter walking around the scene, apparently uninjured.
Polk County Fire Rescue, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Auburndale Police Department responded to the scene. Old Dixie Highway was shut down in both directions for an extended period of time.
The mail carrier was transported to a local hospital. The extent of his injuries remains unknown. No information regarding what led to the crash has been released. Nothing further at this time.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
