A young woman and child were killed and another child airlifted from the scene following a near head-on collision along Sydney Road Monday.
According to Plant City Police Department, a Del Monte tractor-trailer was heading west on Sydney Road while a black Mitsubishi Eclipse was heading east, just east of Old Sydney Road around noon Monday. PCPD spokesperson Al Van Duyne said one of the vehicles drifted into the other’s path, causing the collision. Police believe the driver of the Mitsubishi drifted left of center and caused the crash, which is still under investigation.
“One vehicle drove left of center,” Van Duyne said. “It wasn’t a full head-on collision, but a front-to-front impact.”
Both vehicles deflected south into a grassy area. PCPD received a call about the crash just after noon and was on scene within 10 minutes. Upon arrival, Van Duyne said, Virgen Salgado-Feliciano, 32, the driver of the Eclipse, and her two-year-old daughter were pronounced dead at the scene. Her four-year-old son was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, but is expected to survive. The driver of the truck was uninjured.
Van Duyne said speed is not believed to be a factor in the crash, but the disparity in size and weight of the vehicles was.
The crash closed a portion of Sydney Road between Old Sydney Road and Airport Road for more than three hours Monday. Van Duyne said no charges are expected to be filed.