Wimauma Man Killed On CR 39 When SUV Skidded On Wet Road

PLANT CITY, FL -- A 26-year-old man was killed when the SUV in which he was a passenger skidded and lost control on County Road 39 just after midnight on Saturday, Dec. 15.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Salvador Mendez Hernandez, 35, of Camp Street in Wimauma was driving a 2012 Ford Expedition south on County Road 39 just south of Carter Road when the SUV skidded on the wet pavement.

Hernandez struck a mailbox, then lost control trying to return to the roadway. The SUV slid again on the wet road and struck a tree.

Mendez, who was seated and restrained in the left rear seat, was killed. Hernandez and three other passengers were taken to Tampa General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The group were on its way home from a fishing trip when the crash occurred.

Image via Patch

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)