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Man dead after vehicle crashes into Polk County motel

Crash happened at the Economy Inn Suites located at 1901 Cypress Gardens Blvd. SE

Polk County Sheriff's Office vehicle (file) (Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A man was killed Saturday afternoon as a car crashed first into him, then into a Winter Haven motel, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said the crash happened around 4:21 p.m. at Economy Inn Suites, located at 1901 Cypress Gardens Blvd. SE.

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The sheriff’s office identified the man who was struck as 33-year-old Standall Brooks, of Winter Haven, adding he was hit as he stood outside of the motel’s lobby and was pronounced dead upon first responders’ arrival.

A 29-year-old Winter Haven man who may have suffered a medical episode in the crash was identified as the driver of the car that struck Brooks and the motel, deputies said. The 2018 Ford Focus had been traveling east on Cypress Gardens Boulevard, but left the roadway, according to the sheriff’s office.

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The Ford driver was hospitalized for treatment of minor injuries and later released, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The crash dealt “substantial damage” to the motel, prompting firefighters to temporarily stabilize it pending repairs, deputies said.

Deputies said the scene was clear as of 9:22 p.m., adding one lane of Cypress Gardens Boulevard was closed for around four hours.

The sheriff’s office is still investigating.


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About the Authors
Jacob Langston headshot

Jacob joined ClickOrlando.com in 2022. He spent 19 years at the Orlando Sentinel, mostly as a photojournalist and video journalist, before joining Spectrum News 13 as a web editor and digital journalist in 2021.

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Brandon, a UCF grad, joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021. Before joining News 6, Brandon worked at WDBO.

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