VERO BEACH — A man was killed when he crashed into a tree along Indian River Boulevard at a high rate of speed, police said.

About 10:30 a.m., the man was traveling south when his truck left the road at high speed, according to Vero Beach police spokesman Brad Kmetz.

He knocked down a pole and hit a large tree south of Venetian Apartments, destroying the truck.

Indian River County Fire Rescue workers extricated the man from the truck and took him by ambulance to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, according to Battalion Chief Kyle Kofke.

The man, whose identity will not be revealed until relatives are notified, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Traffic was heavy on Indian River Boulevard in the hours after the crash.

Only one southbound lane of Indian River Boulevard was open until about 12:30 p.m. The right-turn lane reopened about 1:15 p.m.

Florida Power & Light responded to the scene to remove and repair the pole

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