LAKELAND, Fla. — An elderly man died after allegedly getting run over by a street sweeper in Lakeland early Thursday morning.
Police said a City of Lakeland street sweeper being operated by Terry Pelham, 57, was traveling north on North Tennessee Avenue around 4:34 a.m. While the sweeper turned right onto East Oak Street, Pelham felt an impact.
According to police, Pelham then checked his surroundings and, after finding nothing, proceeded to drive forward, heading east. He then noticed the victim, 70, lying on the road behind the sweeper, which prompted him to immediately get out of the vehicle and call 911.
Traffic homicide detectives said they are unsure what the victim was doing on the road and that they're still trying to find his next of kin. The victim's exact cause of death has yet to be determined.
