Employee killed while trying to clear trees after Hurricane Milton

A Polk County employee was killed after being hit by a truck while trying to clear trees after Hurricane Milton, the county said.

It happened Thursday morning at the cross street of Brooke Road and US HWY 98 near Fort Meade.

The crew was in the process of cutting down a tree that had fallen and was blocking US 98 when a vehicle struck a Fort Meade Maintenance Unit Service Worker.

Bruce Kinsler, 68 was killed. He had served Polk County for about a decade, the county said.

The driver of the vehicle was another Polk County employee, who was coming to join the crew for post-storm recovery. The employee was transported to the hospital.

"The tragedy of this incident is compounded by the fact that Bruce Kinsler was killed serving the residents of this county," said Bill Braswell, Polk County Commission Board Chair. "We ask a lot of the employees as public servants, and they respond to the call. For this to happen is just a tragedy."

This is the second roadwork-related fatality in the division in the past 20 years, the county said.

- CNN