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Crash Leaves 6 Hurt, Shuts Down U.S. 27 Overnight

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TBO.com staff

Published: January 11, 2009

Three people were hospitalized and three others received less serious injuries when a tractor trailer hauling boxes of oranges hit a sports utility vehicle Saturday night on U.S. 27 in Polk County.

Cleaning up the truck's cargo closed U.S. 27 from 11 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. today, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

The accident occurred when the tractor trailer failed to stop at a red light at U.S. 27 and Avon Park Cutoff Road near Frostproof about 10:40 p.m. Saturday.

The truck hit a Ford Explorer turning south onto U.S. 27, the sheriff's office said.

The driver of the Ford, Craig Skipper, 48, of Avon Park, was flown to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with what the sheriff's office described as critical injuries. A passenger, Edna Faath, 27, of Sebring, had minor injuries.

The semi-tractor trailer's driver, Oneil Grenier, 47, of Avon Park, was taken to the Lakeland hospital in stable condition and a passenger, 15-year-old Dexter Grenier, was flown to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries, the sheriff's office said.

Other passengers in the tractor trailer, Amanda Cox, 16, Shawn Loeb, 7, and Kristopher Loeb, also 7, and all from Avon Park, received minor injuries.

Another passenger, Lori Cox, 38, of Avon Park, was not injured.

The accident remains under investigation, the sheriff's office said.

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