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Deputies shoot, kill woman who drove pickup truck toward them in Polk County

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Two deputies on Monday morning fatally shot a woman who drove a pickup truck toward them on a dirt road near Lakeland, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Investigators said someone reported at about 11:30 a.m. that a Ford F-250 had been stolen, and a deputy discovered the truck about an hour later in woods along Lakeland Acres Road near U.S. Highway 98.

Officials said two deputies walked toward the pickup on a dirt road that leads to the woods, and they repeatedly ordered the woman to exit the vehicle so that they could talk with her.

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The woman drove toward the deputies, and they shot her to death, the Sheriff's Office said.

A bystander who witnessed the shooting said the woman "had it floored" while driving toward the deputies, investigators said.

The deputies, who were uninjured, were placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard in police shootings.

Officials said the woman, who was in her early 20s, had previously been arrested four times on charges, such as burglary, theft and fraud.

The identities of those involved have not been released.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.

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