LAKELAND, FL — A pickup truck crashed on the Polk Parkway Sunday morning after its driver applied deodorant while taking a curve, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The GMC Sierra struck an anti-crash device and ended up resting on top of a concrete barrier wall.
Troopers said the driver was a 22-year-old man from Auburndale. No injuries were reported in the crash, which happened on State Road 570 near milepost 14 around 7 a.m.
The unusual incident quickly drew attention because of the reason troopers gave for the driver losing control. FHP later responded to online questions about what was found at the scene.
Troopers say the crash happened while the driver was navigating a curve
According to FHP, the pickup was traveling westbound when the driver applied deodorant and the vehicle left the roadway. The truck then hit an anti-crash device meant to absorb impact and protect the barrier area.
After the impact, the vehicle came to rest perched on the concrete wall. Images and descriptions shared by troopers made clear that the crash was not minor, even though nobody was hurt.
The timing matters because the truck was moving through a curve when the driver was distracted. That combination, troopers said, was enough to send the vehicle out of control on the highway.
Florida Highway Patrol confirms the deodorant was a stick, not spray
The crash prompted questions online, and troopers later clarified one detail that stood out in the discussion. Florida Highway Patrol said the deodorant discovered at the scene was a stick rather than a spray can.
That clarification came after people asked about the circumstances surrounding the wreck. The agency did not suggest any injuries or mention a second vehicle being involved.
The focus of the troopers’ update was to make the facts of the incident clear. In their telling, the key issue was the distraction inside the truck, not a mechanical failure or another road user.
No injuries were reported after the truck landed on the barrier wall
Even with the unusual outcome, authorities said the driver was not hurt. No emergency medical details were reported, and FHP did not describe any need for hospitalization.
The truck’s position on the barrier wall made the crash notable, but the lack of injuries kept the incident from becoming more serious. The agency’s account suggests the driver was able to survive a potentially dangerous sequence with no reported physical harm.
Incidents like this can create major traffic concerns, but in this case FHP did not report a closure or extended disruption. The emphasis remained on the driver’s actions and the lucky result that no one was injured.
Troopers use the wreck to warn drivers against multitasking
FHP turned the crash into a reminder about attention behind the wheel. The agency urged motorists not to multitask while driving, using the deodorant episode as an example of how quickly a distraction can turn into a wreck.
Troopers framed the message plainly: personal grooming can wait until the vehicle is parked. Their point was that even a brief lapse can be enough to cause a driver to leave the road.
The warning fits a broader safety message often repeated by traffic officials, who regularly caution drivers to put routine tasks aside until they are no longer moving. In this case, troopers used an odd but memorable example to make that lesson stick.
A routine Sunday morning drive turned into a memorable roadside scene
The crash happened early enough that few details were out at first, but the scene itself was unusual. A pickup sitting atop a barrier wall is the kind of image that can quickly spread online, especially when paired with an explanation as unexpected as deodorant distraction.
For the Auburndale driver, the trip along the Polk Parkway ended with a damaged truck and a visit from troopers, but no reported injuries. For state troopers, it became a public safety example that was easy to describe and hard to forget.
What began as a normal Sunday morning drive became a reminder that even small tasks can have outsized consequences when a vehicle is in motion. FHP’s message was simple: keep attention on the road until the vehicle is parked.
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