Polk County Fugitive Dies in Motorcycle Crash Following High-Speed Pursuit

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A weekend motorcycle crash claimed the life of a wanted suspect in Lakeland, Florida, as confirmed by local authorities. Kyle Cole, aged 26, was riding a stolen 2024 Suzuki motorcycle when the accident occurred on Saturday, November 29. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that Cole was facing nearly a dozen outstanding warrants from two separate investigations.

According to witness accounts, Cole was tailgating another vehicle while traveling east on Knights Station Road, just west of Harrelson Road in north Lakeland. He lost control of the motorcycle, which subsequently flipped onto its side, ejecting him onto the roadway.

In the aftermath of the crash, officials noted that a Jeep Cherokee driver might have collided with the fallen motorcycle. The Jeep’s driver remained at the scene and cooperated fully with the authorities, as stated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The motorcycle flipped onto its left side, throwing Cole onto the road, and officials said the driver of a Jeep Cherokee may have hit the bike. The Jeep driver remained on scene and cooperated with law enforcement, according to authorities.

Bystanders performed CPR on Cole while waiting for first responders to arrive. Cole was then taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

It had been a little over a week since deputies last encountered Cole. They found him sitting behind the wheel of a 2003 gold Chevy Avalanche truck during an investigation on Friday, Nov. 21.

Deputies said they had been looking for the truck as its owner had a warrant out of Hillsborough County. They were surprised to find Cole, and not the truck’s actual owner, inside. Another unidentified man was also inside the truck.

Authorities said Cole refused commands to get out of the truck and “rammed through every PCSO vehicle nearby.” He then sped down Kathleen Road onto Dove Meadow Trail, where he crashed through the gate of a private ranch, causing $100,000 worth of damage, according to officials.

Cole and the passenger then abandoned the truck and ran into a wooded area. The sheriff’s office issued warrants for Cole’s arrest after deputies were unable to find him. The warrants were for aggravated battery and assault on law enforcement, fleeing to elude, felony criminal mischief, and other charges.

“This suspect, at a very young age, displayed blatant disregard for the law and it ultimately cost him his life,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “Had he not fled from us on November 21, after hitting several patrol vehicles with his car, he would have been safely housed in the jail and not recklessly driving a stolen motorcycle a week later. What a shame.”