An 83-year-old Mulberry man died Wednesday afternoon when his pickup truck struck a roadside culvert went airborne for 50 yards and landed on its roof, Polk County Sheriff’s officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a Thursday news release that Alphonso Newkirk was driving a white 2001 Dodge 1500 north on State Road 37 near Cameron Street Wednesday afternoon when he veered to the east shoulder of the highway toward a ditch for unknown reasons. Reports say the pickup struck a street sign and a concrete culvert, which caused it to flip.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash along with members of Polk County Fire Rescue, according to a press release. Responders found Newkirk dead at the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said he was not wearing a seatbelt.
State Road 37 South was closed in both directions for approximately three and a half hours. The crash remains under investigation.