MULBERRY, FL – The Polk County Sheriff’s Traffic Homicide Investigations unit is probing a deadly collision that occurred near Mulberry on Monday, January 1, marking the third consecutive day of fatal crashes in the area.
Around 6:00 pm, PCSO deputies, alongside Polk County Fire Rescue, rushed to the scene at State Road 60 and Coronet Road, approximately four miles west of Mulberry, following a report of a two-vehicle accident.
Audrey Hills, 39, from Mulberry, sustained severe injuries and was urgently transported to a nearby hospital. Regrettably, she was declared dead upon arrival. A 40-year-old male passenger in Hills’ vehicle, along with the 29-year-old driver of the second vehicle, were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The incident led to a closure of westbound State Road 60 for about three hours, with the Florida Department of Transportation assisting in traffic management.
Investigations revealed that Hills was driving a black 2016 Kia sedan with the male passenger from Mulberry. The other vehicle involved was a blue 2016 Ford F150 pickup, driven by a 29-year-old man from Dundee, with a 26-year-old female passenger from Gibsonton. Before the collision, Hills’ Kia was halted on southbound Coronet Road at the SR 60 intersection, while the Ford pickup was traveling west on SR 60.