A central Florida man was killed Wednesday morning after his truck cab was “pierced” with timber protruding from the rear another truck during a collision, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
According to information provided by the sheriff’s office, deputies were notified of the crash about 10 miles north of Lakeland at US 98 North and State Road 471 just before 11 a.m. Wednesday.
When first responders arrived, they found 44-year-old Gabriel Lorenzo Beauford, of Winter Park, dead in the cab of a semi-truck with a trailer.
The driver of the other truck, who was identified as a 34-year-old Ocala man, was uninjured.
According to the preliminary investigation, the sheriff’s office said that the victim’s truck was traveling south on US 98, following behind a Mack truck, which was hauling timber.
That truck, officials said, entered a left turn lane to get onto SR 471.
“It appears that the victim did not notice the truck in front of him slowing down, and his truck struck the load of timber protruding from the rear of the Mack truck’s trailer,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Large pieces of timber pierced the cab of the victim’s truck, as well as the trailer and cargo within the trailer, causing some hazardous material to spill onto the roadway, the sheriff’s office said.
Road closed for hours, no charges anticipated
The road was closed for about seven hours after the crash, and crews from Polk County Fire Rescue, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation and Polk County Road Maintenance helped to clean up the scene afterward.
The sheriff’s office said that the timber-hauling truck was in compliance with all safety measures regarding its cargo, and no criminal or civil charges were anticipated.
