Bartow, Fla. (Oct. 7, 2025) — While responding to an emergency call with lights and sirens, a Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) ambulance was involved in a three-vehicle crash, which resulted in one fatality.
The crash occurred at about 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, on Spirit Lake Road in Winter Haven. When additional fire rescue crews arrived on scene, they noted the driver of the second vehicle was deceased. The driver of the third vehicle was not injured. The two PCFR crew members were transported to a local hospital where they were treated and released.
PCFR’s Special Operations crew assisted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office with the extraction.
Spirit Lake Road was closed for several hours after the crash. It has since reopened.
