LAKELAND, Fla. — A man died Wednesday morning after deputies say he tried to climb a dump truck that was driving down a Lakeland road.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said they received 911 calls about the 56-year-old man running in and out of traffic and waving his arms at drivers.
The City of Lakeland Waste Management dump truck, which had been stopped at a red light at Reynolds Road and Highway 92 East, was beginning to accelerate when the man attempted to climb up the passenger side step. He then fell off and was run over by the truck.
PCSO said deputies arrived at the scene to investigate around 10 a.m. When they arrived, they found the victim, who had already died.
Deputies added that the eastbound lanes of Highway 92 East were closed for nearly three hours.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.