FLORIDA — Two people were killed Saturday evening in a multi-vehicle crash on Kathleen Road in Lakeland, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The crash occurred just before 6 p.m. near Nick and Moe’s gas station. Investigators said 23-year-old Rylee Hill of Fort Meade was driving a Nissan along a curve from west to north when she failed to properly navigate the turn and crossed over the center grass median.
The Nissan briefly became airborne before striking a Kia driven by a 48-year-old Lakeland woman. It then hit a Dodge Ram driven by a 53-year-old Lakeland man, and continued west before colliding head-on with an Audi SUV driven by the Dodge driver’s son. Also in the Audi were two passengers, including the driver’s 79-year-old grandmother, Annette Zalner.
Both Hill and Zalner died in the collision. Three others were taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The sheriff’s office said excessive speed is expected to be a factor in the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
