SHADY HILLS — The popular principal of Crews Lake Middle School died Friday morning in a crash on State Road 52 while heading to work.

Adam Kennedy, 46, was driving west on S.R. 52 west of U.S. 41 around 6:40 a.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Ahead of his 2005 Dodge pickup was a semitrailer truck carrying a load of logs. It slowed to make a right turn onto a property.

Kennedy didn't slow down, troopers said. His truck collided with the back of the logs. His pickup continued until it ran off the road and hit a fence. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The semitrailer had the proper safety devices, such as a flag marking the end of the logs, the FHP said, in compliance with state law. The agency said Kennedy, of Land O'Lakes, was wearing his seatbelt.

The driver of the semitrailer, Jason L. Harbarugh, 41, of Wauchula, was not injured. The accident brought traffic in the area to a standstill for most of the morning.

"We're devastated," said school district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe. Her office sent out a message to parents informing them of the incident.

The school district also brought a full crisis team, including counselors and two of the school's former principals to the Crews Lake Middle campus in Spring Hill to help students and employees.

"Adam was somebody who led from the heart," said area superintendent Todd Cluff, who supervised Kennedy. "He's former military, always wanting to do things right yet understanding in education there's not always a clear right ... He was an incredible guy and well loved."

Friday was the birthday of Kennedy's wife, Abigail Kennedy, a language arts teacher at Pasco eSchool, the district's online school. The Kennedys have two children, both of elementary school age, district officials said.

Kennedy has worked for the Pasco County school district since 1999. He spent a decade working as a teacher at Weightman Middle School in Wesley Chapel before moving to Crews Lake to become assistant principal in 2009. He took over as principal in 2015.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, troopers said. The accident was still under investigation Friday.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the logs came off the back of the semitrailer truck and collided with Kennedy's pickup truck.

Contact Jeffrey S. Solochek at (813) 909-4614 or jsolochek@tampabay.com. Contact Josh Solomon at (813) 909-4613 or jsolomon@tampabay.com.