The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating a traffic crash that occurred around 3:25 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the railroad crossing located at the Kathleen Tire Shop, 5310 Kathleen Road, in north Lakeland.
According to the investigation so far, 36-year-old Abel Arocho of Kissimmee was driving a 2006 black Ford F-150 south on Kathleen Road when he turned right to go to the tire shop, across the private RR crossing that runs west of the roadway. There are no crossing arms at the crossing, but there is a stop sign and a sign regarding the RR crossing itself. For unknown reasons, Arocho did not stop but proceeded across the tracks as a CSX cargo freight train with two occupants (the engineer and the conductor) and 110 empty cars was heading northbound on the tracks at approximately 55 MPH. The freight train struck the pickup truck along the driver’s side, propelling the truck northwest and ripping open the driver’s door. Arocho was ejected onto a grassy area and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The train was traveling from Orlando to Jacksonville. After coming to a stop, the train blocked four RR crossings from Deeson Road south to Strickland Road, for approximately 2.5 hours.
