A North Fort Myers man remained hospitalized Tuesday after he was ejected from a truck that was pulling a trailer containing lawn equipment.
Mark Smith, 52, of 1146 Travis Ave., was listed in critical condition at Lee Memorial Hospital after he sustained life-threatening injuries in an accident and was transported via MEDSTAR, according to hospital officials.
The driver of the 2004 Dodge truck and two other passengers were injured as well.
According to police, Smith was ejected after the driver lost control of the truck when an attached trailer with lawn equipment began to fishtail. Raymond King, 22, of 1204 Travis Ave., North Fort Myers, was also ejected.
King was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital via ambulance with serious injuries. The driver, Vincent E. Ehrhardt, 24, and Edward R. Ehrhardt, 38, both of 1146 Travis Ave., North Fort Myers, sustained minor injuries and were taken to Cape Coral Hospital. All three had been released Tuesday.
According to police, Vincent Ehrhardt was driving the truck west on Veterans Memorial Parkway in the middle lane at 2:05 p.m. pulling the trailer. Witnesses said the trailer began to fishtail, causing the driver to lose control in the 500 block. The trailer detached, and the truck began to rotate.
The truck and detached trailer entered the median, and the truck continued to rotate as it crossed toward the eastbound lanes of Veterans, police said. As it exited the median, it began to roll. The two rear seat passengers were ejected and the truck came to rest on its left side south of Veterans.
The lawn equipment detached from the trailer and came to rest in the eastbound lanes of Veterans. The trailer continued to rotate and ended upside down in the middle lane of eastbound Veterans.
Veterans was closed in both directions between Santa Barbara Boulevard and Skyline Boulevard for about six hours as police conducted their investigation, officials reported.
A traffic homicide investigation is continuing.