4 Killed, 5 Injured in 3 Polk Crashes

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Holiday travel in Polk County took a deadly turn with two fatal crashes on U.S. 27
and a third in Winter Haven.
The three unrelated crashes claimed four lives and injured five people
Wednesday night and early Thursday:
James Carl Payne Jr., 57, and Elaine Johnson Barnes, 46, both of 1718 Dickens
Road in Lake Wales, died of injuries from a two-vehicle crash Wednesday night
on U.S. 27 in Lake Hamilton. Two passengers in Payneʼs vehicle were in critical
condition Thursday.
David Charles Whitted, 24, of Wagner, S.C., was killed when he drove in the
wrong direction on U.S. 27 south of Lake Wales and collided with a Chevrolet
Blazer about 4U30 a.m. Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Three people in
the Blazer were injured.
In Winter Haven, Gabriel Varela, 25, of Davenport, was killed when his motorcycle
hit a curb and he lost control and crashed into a house on Seventh Street
Southwest about 1U30 a.m. Thursday, Winter Haven police said.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said this holiday weekend has already seen a
high number of deaths.
“We are only into the first full day of the holiday weekend and I hope this is not
indicative of the entire weekend,” he said Thursday.
Judd said each holiday weekend differs, but vehicle crashes are usually low
during the holidays because drivers use more caution because of the heavy
traffic.
“Traffic crashes are one of the most gut-wrenching ways to lose a love one,” he
said. “Because itʼs so sudden.“
Judd said Wednesday nightʼs crash in Lake Hamilton that killed Payne and Barnes
was a tragedy.
“Itʼs a horrible event,” Judd said. “But certainly when itʼs on the eve of
Thanksgiving, itʼs even more sensitive.“
The Lake Hamilton crash happened about 7U10 p.m. as the 2005 Ford Explorer
Sport Trac driven by Payne traveled south on U.S. 27. As the Explorer was turning
east at Crump Road toward west Main Street, it collided with a 2000 Ford F-250
pickup that was hauling a trailer filled with concrete, deputies said.
The crash caused the Explorer to roll until it came to a stop on its roof, deputies
said. The trailer went into a ditch.
Barnes died at the scene, and Payne died at Lakeland Regional Medical Center,
deputies said.
Two passengers in the Explorer Sport Trac — Jay Joseph Vanbockel, 19, of Palm
Bay, and Connie Gould Jarrell, 50, of 523 W. Smith Ave. in Lake Hamilton — were
in “very critical” condition Thursday at Lakeland Regional, the Polk County
Sheriffʼs Office said.
The driver of the Ford F-250, Pedro Teixeira, 18, and his passenger, Bruno
Dornelas, 25, both of Orlando, had minor injuries. Both were treated at the scene.
No charges have been filed in the crash, sheriffʼs officials said Thursday.
The crash caused U.S, 27 to close for between six and seven hours.
Deputies were trying to determine whether the occupants of the Explorer were
wearing seat belts.
Hours after the accident on U.S. 27, a second fatal crash occurred on the
highway about one mile south of County Road 640, south of Lake Wales.
The Florida Highway Patrol said troopers hadnʼt determined what caused Whitted
to drive the wrong way.
The South Carolina man was traveling north in the inside southbound lane of U.S.
27 and his 2008 Chevrolet Aveo struck a southbound 1996 Chevrolet Blazer
driven by Justin Hardy Mills, 21, of Frostproof, the FHP said.
Mills tried to avoid the crash, but the vehicles collided and Millsʼ Blazer
overturned, the FHP said.
Mills and his passengers, Nicole Monica Christiana, 33, of Avon Park, and Tina
Mearse Young, 46, of Frostproof, received serious injuries. Mills was taken to
Lake Wales Medical Center and Christiana and Young are at Lakeland Regional.
Whitted died at the scene, the FHP said.
In the Winter Haven motorcycle crash, Varela, 25, was riding his 2004 Suzuki
GSX-R 1000 east on Avenue D Southwest about 1U30 a.m.
As he approached the intersection with Seventh Street Southwest, he hit a curb
and then struck a house at 342 Seventh St., police said. He was taken to Winter
haven Hospital, where he died.
Police are unsure how fast Varela was traveling when the accident occurred.
Police continue to investigate the crash. Anyone with information can contact
Winter Haven Police Traffic Officer Justin Minser at 863-291-5704.

[ Elvia Malagon can be reached at elvia.malagon@theledger.com or 863-802-

7550. Her Twitter is @ledger911. ]