Pickup Truck Crash in Lakeland Kills 51-Year-Old Driver

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 30, 2023

One person was killed and two others were injured over the weekend during an accident involving two pickup trucks along U.S. 92, according to early reports from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

It was approximately five minutes before midnight on Saturday, January 28, 2023, when 51-year-old Lakeland resident Selestino Vega Bocanegra Mata was driving a white 2004 Toyota pickup truck in the eastern direction of U.S. 92, locally known as New Tampa Highway. As he approached the area of Polk Parkway, he encountered 25-year old Leonardo Barrera Zurita, also from Lakeland, who was driving a black 2009 Chevrolet from the opposite direction. When both pickup trucks were roughly 1,000 feet away from Polk Parkway, the black Chevy suddenly crossed over the center line dividing the highway and slammed into the white Toyota.

Officers with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and local Lakeland emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene of the two-truck crash and discovered that 51-year-old Selestino Vega Bocanegra Mata had passed away from his injuries.

The two occupants of the Chevy pickup truck, 25-year-old Leonardo Barrera Zurita and his 32-year old passenger Frederico Garcia Duran, were both taken to a Lakeland hospital for additional medical assistance. Leonardo Barrera Zurita sustained broken bone injuries to his hand and leg, while his passenger received treatment for minor lacerations and bruising.

The accident site was closed for nearly four hours while traffic homicide investigators from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office combed the scene to retrieve evidence. No official charges have been filed at this time, however, that position could change depending on the outcome of the investigation.

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For over forty-six years and counting, Lakeland auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham has been dedicated to representing the victims of motorcycle accidents, pickup & semi-truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, drunk driver collisions, texting accidents, head-on collisions, and wrong-way car accidents. If you would like to receive further information, please submit a quick & easy contact form.

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James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.