Drunk Lakeland man lying in middle of road hit by semi-truck: PCSO

LAKELAND, FL – 34-year-old Lakeland A man was lying face down in the middle of the road when he was hit by a Publix semi truck early Monday morning, deputies said.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened on New Tampa Highway west of Pine Chase Avenue in Lakeland around 12:30 a.m.

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A Publix employee driving a green Freightliner semi truck saw the man lying in the middle of the eastbound lanes of the New Tampa highway and tried to avoid the collision but was unsuccessful, officials said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the truck driver had just finished his shift and was returning the truck to the Publix warehouse.

The Lakeland man’s family said he had been drinking at a bar just west of the crash site. The PCSO says he drove his motorcycle to the bar but told people he was going to walk home because he was too drunk to drive.

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