A 26-year-old Polk County man was killed Tuesday night and two other people were injured in a three-vehicle accident on State Road 33 in Polk City.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the accident happened about 8:15 p.m. just west of Stevens Drive, where SR 33 curves around the north end of Mud Lake. When Polk deputies and Fire Rescue personnel arrived at the scene, they found Charles Vanduyn, 26, of Polk City dead in a beige 1998 Toyota Camry.
The Sheriff’s Office said Vanduyn was traveling south on SR 33 when, for unknown reasons, his Camry crossed the center line and struck a silver 2012 Nissan Altima, driven north by Cindy Whittington, 51, of Polk City, in the driver-side rear. The Nissan spun out of control and came to a stop near the intersection.
Vanduyn’s car then struck a white 2008 Ford F150 pickup, traveling north behind the Altima, head-on. The driver of the pickup, Charlie Pickren III, 34, of Polk City, was ejected from the truck, and the truck began to burn.
Whittington and Pickren were taken to a local hospital. Whittington suffered cuts and bruises, and Pickren suffered a head laceration and was last reported in stable condition.
No other people were in the cars.
SR 33 was closed in both directions for about four hours. The investigation remains ongoing.