Lakeland Police Department announced that Officer Paul Dunn has passed away from injuries sustained in an on-duty traffic crash that occurred near the intersection of Lake Miram Drive and Lakeland Highlands Road shortly before 6:00 a.m. this morning. He was just 50 years old. Officer Dunn has been with our agency since 2013 and he was a beloved member of our motor unit.
Please keep Officer Dunn’s family and all those who loved him in your thoughts and prayers as we are grieving this huge loss to our agency and our community. Officer Dunn was married and has two sons who are currently serving in the armed forces. Dunn is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is working on the crash investigation as it occurred in the unincorporated area of Lakeland.
From media reports: For unknown reasons, they said, Dunn’s motorcycle collided with and drove over a raised concrete median as he was heading to work around 5:55 a.m. The median is located between the north and southbound lanes. The collision caused Dunn to lose control of the motorcycle. It’s unknown whether another vehicle was involved.
Dunn was taken to a Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and was declared dead at 6:53 a.m.
The scene has multiple units from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, including a command center from the agency. There is also a large police presence at Lakeland Regional.
Drivers are advised to go north on Polk Parkway and use Cleveland Heights Boulevard as an alternate route. There is no word yet on when lanes will reopen.