PCSO: Homeless man dies after being struck overnight on Cypress Gardens Boulevard

A pedestrian died early Thursday morning after being struck on Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The victim, a 43-year-old man, was homeless and well known to deputies who patrol the east Winter Haven area, PCSO said in a news release.

The driver of a red Kia Soul, Steven Hoover, 58, of Des Moines, Iowa, reported seeing the man in the roadway seconds before impact, PCSO said. Hoover braked but was unable to avoid striking the man, who frequently crosses Cypress Gardens Boulevard to go to a 7-Eleven store and a Murphy gas station in the area.

The crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of Cypress Gardens Boulevard, just east of Lake Ruby Drive. The pedestrian was walking north across the four-lane highway, not in an area designated for pedestrian travel, PCSO reported.

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First responders performed CPR on the man, but he was declared dead at the scene. PCSO had not released his name Thursday morning, as efforts were ongoing to locate and notify his next of kin.

No impairment was detected on the part of the driver, but impairment for the pedestrian is being investigated, PCSO said.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: PCSO: Pedestrian dies after being struck on Cypress Gardens Boulevard