LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a Florida man died after crashing his minivan into a parked Road Ranger pickup truck that had stopped to help a disabled car.
News outlets report that the crash happened Monday afternoon on Interstate 4 near Lakeland.
Florida Highway Patrol says the truck was parked on the side of the highway while the Road Ranger helped a man in a disabled sedan. Troopers say 72-year-old Joseph C. Schoenbauer Jr. rear-ended the pickup, sending it into the car.
Officials say Schoenbauer was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, who had been in the van's passenger seat, was hospitalized with critical injuries. The Road Ranger was treated for minor injuries, and the stranded motorist didn't report being hurt.
Troopers didn't immediately know why Schoenbauer veered onto the shoulder.
