BARTOW, Fla. (WFLA) — A truck driver was killed Friday morning after being hit by an SUV on US-17 near Bartow, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said Yusniel Gonzalez Lemus, 40, was walking around his Freightliner truck after it jackknifed on the highway.
While Gonzalez Lemus checked his truck, a Ford Edge passed the stopped Freightliner and hit the 40-year-old as he stepped from behind the truck’s trailer, a release said.
Deputies said Gonzalez Lemus died at the scene of the crash. The driver of the Edge stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities.
A portion of the highway was closed for approximately three hours while deputies investigated the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
