POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A morning commute turned tragic on Monday after a driver suffered a medical episode behind the wheel, sending his car careening off the highway and into a marsh.
The fatal incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. on US-27, just south of Bates Road. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 64-year-old man from Davenport was traveling northbound in a Nissan Altima when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle due to a medical emergency.
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Troopers say the sedan drifted off the roadway and plowed through heavy brush before becoming partially submerged in a swampy area adjacent to the highway.
First responders rushed the driver to a local hospital, but he sadly did not survive. The FHP has not released the man’s identity as the investigation continues.
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