published: Sunday, January 11, 2009

Seven injured in wreck at Scenic Highway, US 27

By ED BALDRIDGE

ed.baldridge@newssun.com

FROSTPROOF-Seven people were injured and U.S. 27 was shut down for six hours when a semi-truck and an SUV crashed late Saturday night, scattering oranges across the main north-south route in East Polk County according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

The accident happened a little after 10:30 p.m. when a semi truck hauling boxed oranges heading north on U.S. 27 driven by Oneil James Grenier, 47, of Avon Park, failed to stop at the intersection, striking the left rear door of a red Ford Explorer that was headed west on Avon Park Cutoff Road, the Sheriff's Office reported.

The Explorer's driver, Craig Alan Skipper, 48, of Avon Park, was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Medical Center (LRMC) with critical injuries.

Skipper's passenger, Edna Ward Faath, 27, of Sebring, was taken to LRMC with minor injuries.

Grenier was taken to LRMC in stable condition,

Dexter Grenier, 15, of Avon Park was airlifted to Tampa General with serious injuries.

Four other passengers in the semi truck who received minor injuries were Amanda Cox, 16, Shawn Loeb, 7, and Kristopher Loeb, 7, all of Avon Park.

They were also taken to LRMC for treatment.

The semi truck's sixth passenger, Lori Cox, 38, of Avon Park was not injured. The Florida Department of Transportation assisted with clean up of the highway.

The crash scattered the oranges over both sides of U.S. 27, which caused the road to be closed from 11:00 p.m. Saturday night until to 5:00 a.m. Sunday while the clean-up by the Sheriff's Office and The Florida Department of Transportation progressed

According to a press release from Donna Wood of the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the accident is under further investigation.