LAKELAND, Fla. — A Friday night on North Florida Avenue turned tragic when a 54-year-old local man was struck and killed by two different vehicles while trying to cross the road.
The incident occurred on May 8, 2026, around 10:50 p.m. in the 1300 block of North Florida Avenue. According to Lakeland Police, a black Toyota sedan driven by 22-year-old Angelique Fernandez was heading south in the inside lane.
At the same time, John Parks was walking westbound across the street. Authorities noted that Parks was not using a marked crosswalk when he stepped into the path of the Toyota.
The impact from the first collision left Parks lying in the southbound lane, where he was almost immediately struck again by a white Chevrolet sedan driven by 40-year-old Jay Bloodworth.
Emergency crews from the Lakeland Police Department, Lakeland Fire Department, and Polk County Fire Rescue rushed to the scene.
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First responders attempted to save Parks, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the site of the crash. Neither Fernandez nor Bloodworth reported any injuries following the collisions.
The North Florida Avenue corridor was closed to traffic for roughly six and a half hours as the Traffic Homicide Unit processed the scene and gathered evidence. Investigators are still working to piece together the final details of the event.
Police are asking anyone who might have witnessed the crash or has relevant information to reach out to Investigating Officer Travis Payne at Travis.payne@lakelandgov.net. The investigation remains open.
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