The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a fatal crash that occurred this morning, Saturday, March 12, 2022 in Alturas.
PCSO deputies and members of Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene of the single-vehicle crash on SR 60 about a mile East of Alturas Road, at around 7:00 AM.
Upon their arrival, they found a silver 2021 Toyota Corolla engulfed in flames. Firefighters extinguished the fire and located the driver deceased inside. There were no other people inside the vehicle.
According to witnesses and evidence at the scene, the driver was traveling westbound on SR 60 in the inside (left) lane, when he partially drifted into the grass median. The driver then overcorrected causing the Toyota to rotate clockwise in a northwest direction, cross both westbound lanes, and slide across the north shoulder of the road. The vehicle then struck a tree and caught fire.
The Toyota was registered to 26-year-old David Joseph Disimile of Temple Terrace, and detectives notified his family. It is believed that Mr. Disimile was the driver at the time of the crash, but an autopsy will be conducted to positively identify him and determine his cause of death.
Westbound SR 60 was closed in the area of the crash for about three hours while emergency crews were on scene investigating. I do not have a photo from the scene.