Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
SR-80

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.

Troopers reported the crash at around 6:17 p.m. on Monday, westbound on SR-80, west of the Grandma’s Grove RV Park.

A pickup truck, driven by a 61-year-old man from Lehigh Acres and his passenger, a 61-year-old man from Alva, was traveling westbound on SR-80 when a trash bag flew off the vehicle’s trailer.

Once this occurred, the vehicle pulled over to the left lane shoulder, partially blocking the inside lane while activating its hazard lights.

Another vehicle, driven by a 27-year-old woman from Fort Myers, was in the left lane headed westbound on SR-80, approaching the stationary pickup truck.

The Alva man exited the right-side passenger door to grab the fallen trash bag from the roadway.

The incoming vehicle collided with the passenger side mirror, the trailer and the Alva man, causing life-threatening injuries.

The man was transported to the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers, but he was pronounced dead later that evening.

The FHP traffic homicide unit will continue to investigate this crash.

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