PCSO: Two women die in head-on collision after vehicle crosses median
Lakeland Ledger
Mon, December 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM UTC
1 min read
Two women died in a head-on collision Nov. 29 on Kathleen Road north of Lakeland.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call at 5:47 p.m. regarding a multi-vehicle crash in front of Nick and Moe’s gas station at 4410 Kathleen Road. First responders arrived to find two people already dead, PCSO said in a news release: Rylee Hill, 23, of Fort Meade, and Annette Zalner, 79, of Lakeland.
Three others were taken to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, PCSO said.
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According to the investigation, a 2024 Nissan being driven by Hill was traveling along the curve of Kathleen Road that moves from west to north when it failed to negotiate the curve. The car crossed over the center grass median and briefly went airborne before it struck the front left quarter panel of a 2024 Kia being driven by Emily Placeres, 48, of Lakeland.
The Nissan then hit a Dodge Ram truck and continued moving west, striking an Audi SUV head-on, PCSO said. Annettee Zalner was a passenger in the Audi, which was driven by Brock Hiltner, 25, of Michigan.
Brock Hiltner’s father, Chad Hiltner, 53, of Lakeland was driving the Dodge truck and was not injured, PCSO reported.
Hill, the driver of the Nissan, is suspected of driving at excessive speed, PCSO said. Kathleen Road was closed for approximately six hours after the crashes.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: PCSO: Two women die in head-on collision on Kathleen Road