Polk County Sheriff’s Press Release
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit investigated a single-vehicle crash in Lake Alfred on Sunday involving one fatality. Around 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 10, 2022, the PCSO ECC received a 911 call from the area of Lake Mattie Road at Adams Barn Road. Upon arrival, first responders located a 2001 silver Dodge Caravan that had struck a concrete utility pole on the east side of Adams Barn Road. The driver, 49-year-old Patricia Bixler, was deceased. Her son, 18-year-old Bobbi Bowen, was injured and transported and is expected to make a full recovery. Mom and son recently moved to Lake Wales and are likely not familiar with this roadway. It appears that Bixler failed to brake to negotiate the 90-degree turn, left the roadway, and crashed into the pole. Both mom and son were seat belted and the airbags deployed. The investigation is ongoing. The roadways were closed for approximately 2.5 hours.