56-year-old Lakeland man dies after running a light and colliding with tractor-trailer

A 56-year-old Lakeland man died early Monday morning when he ran a red light and smashed into the side of a refrigerated trailer being pulled by a semi-truck, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

In a Monday afternoon news release, the Sheriff's Office said the accident happened shortly after 2:30 a.m. on New Tampa Highway at Clark Road, near the Polk Parkway in West Lakeland.

The Sheriff's Office said traffic homicide investigators determined that Miguel Jacinto, 56, was driving a 2013 Volkwagon Jetta at a high rate of speed north on Clark Road and failed to stop at the red light at New Tampa Highway (U.S. 92).

The Volkswagen slammed into the passenger side of a refrigerated trailer being pulled by a Freightliner semi-tractor that was traveling east on New Tampa Highway by a Tifton, Georgia, man. The front of the Volkswagen became wedged under the trailer in front of the rear axles, according to the news release.

Jacinto suffered significant injuries and died at the scene, the Sheriff's Office said.

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Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, and the truck driver was not injured, the Sheriff's Office said. The eastbound lane of New Tampa Highway was closed for approximately five hours during the initial stage of the investigation.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: PCSO: Lakeland man dies after running light and hitting truck trailer