POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Three people died early Saturday in a fiery crash near Winter Haven, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Firefighters were dispatched to a vehicle fire on Spirit Lake Road near Sheffield Road shortly after 3:30 a.m.
When firefighters arrived, they saw a 2015 Chrysler 200 engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished and three bodies were found in the car.
The car was traveling at a high rate of speed on Old Bartow Eagle Lake Road when it left the roadway and traveled onto Spirit Lake Road, said Donna Wood, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman.
Wood said the car then struck a drainage ditch, causing the vehicle to go airborne and crash into a large oak tree 50 feet from the road.
"The car caught fire with the occupants still inside and was completely engulfed in flames when it was observed by a passing motorist," she said. "Due to the extensive damage to the car, it is believed the occupants were incapacitated upon impact with the tree."
Investigators said the two people seated in the front of the car were wearing seatbelts, but the person seated in the rear of the car wasn't buckled in.
Due to the fire, investigators weren't able to determine if the car's air bags deployed.
It's not known if impairment or distracted driving played a role in this crash, Wood said.
Autopsies will be conducted on the three bodies to confirm their identities.
The road was closed for about six hours as the crash site was investigated.
WFTV
