Lakeland, FL : 1 dead, 3 seriously injured in Rockridge Road crash on Saturday afternoon, July 16, 2016

The victim of a fatal accident and three others who were seriously injured Saturday afternoon on Rockridge Road have been identified by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

A passenger in a green 1997 Oldsmobile died at the scene: 40-year-old Osiel Montoya-Aguilar, 5215 Speer Creek Park, Plant City, who was in the left-rear passenger.

Seriously injured were three other passengers in the car: Nicholas Ramirez, 34, Fancy Farms Road, Plant City, who was in the front passenger seat; Zacharias Balthazar, 42, of 5380 Nichols Road, Lithia, who was in the middle rear passenger seat; and Elmer Garcia, 25, of 144 Barron Drive, Plant City, who was in the right-rear passenger seat.

Ramirez is stable condition at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, and Balthazar and Garcia are in critical condition at LRHMC.

According to the Sheriff's Office the accident happened about 1:15 p.m. when the Oldsmobile, driven by J. Guadalope Gonzalez-Lopez, and a black 1999 Ford F150, driven by Jacob W. Herrington, 34, of 4111 Grove Place, Lakeland, were both traveling east on Rockridge Road, the Sheriff's Office reported.

Gonzalez-Lopez, 6214 Pine Village Circle, Lakeland, began to stop to make a left turn onto Gator Creek Ranch Road when the F150 rear-ended the Oldsmobile.

The Oldsmobile was pushed about 35 feet past the intersection and came to final rest in the westbound lane of Rockridge Road. There was significant damage to the car's rear end.

Gonzalez-Lopez and two passengers sitting in the back seat had to extricated from the Oldsmobile.

Impairment of Herrington does not appear to be a factor, but speed and distraction may have played a role, the Sheriff's Office said.

The airbag in the F150 deployed and Herrington was wearing a seatbelt. He was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed firearm which was located on his person during the investigation.

Gonzalez-Lopez and Ramirez appear to have been wearing seatbelts, but the rear passengers were not.

The crash investigation is ongoing.

Source :
1 dead, 3 seriously hurt in Rockridge Road crash