On Saturday, October 19th, 2024, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the death of a driver who was involved in a crash the day before in Winter Haven.
The crash occurred at approximately 2:00 PM on October 18, 2024 at the intersection of Recker Highway and Coleman Road. Polk County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene.
Two vehicles were involved, with one occupant in each car. The vehicles were a 2021 Honda HRV, driven by David O’Daniels, and a 2019 Subaru Sport driven by Jeffery Wood.
David O’Daniels was injured in the crash, and was extricated from the vehicle then transported to the hospital via ground as a trauma alert. Deputies spoke with O’Daniels at the hospital and his family members, and learned that he likely had a medical episode, causing him to strike Wood’s vehicle, and ultimately hit a tree.
David O’Daniels, age 52, passed away overnight while in the hospital. An autopsy will determine his exact cause of death but at this time it appears to be medical and not necessarily related to the traffic crash.
The investigation is ongoing.
