POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A young father lost his life, and a mother and child were rushed to hospitals following a severe single-vehicle rollover crash Friday afternoon in Polk County.
The accident occurred just before 1:00 p.m. on State Road 60 near Tiger Lake Road, just east of Lake Wales near the Walk-In-Water community.
According to Traffic Homicide detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Connor Houston Strickland of Fort Pierce was driving a 2007 gray Toyota Camry westbound when he lost control of the vehicle. The sedan rolled over before coming to a stop in a ditch on the south side of the highway.
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Investigators determined that neither Strickland nor his girlfriend, 26-year-old Alexandria Janae McConnell of Auburndale, were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Both were ejected from the vehicle.
Strickland was pronounced dead at the scene.
Miraculously, the couple’s 2-year-old son survived the rollover. First responders found the toddler still secured in his car seat in the back of the Camry. He was airlifted to a hospital and is listed in stable condition.
McConnell was also flown to a separate hospital for treatment, where she remains in stable condition.
A preliminary investigation by detectives revealed the Toyota was traveling approximately 74 mph in a 60 mph zone just four seconds before the crash. The exact cause of why Strickland lost control remains under investigation.
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Deputies also located a dog inside the vehicle, which was turned over to Polk County Animal Control.
The crash significantly disrupted traffic in the area Friday afternoon. Westbound lanes of State Road 60 were closed for roughly an hour, while eastbound lanes remained shut down for two hours as emergency crews worked the scene.
The investigation is ongoing.
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