Deputies say tire failure sent car into tree, killing driver

TAMPA -- A 50-year-old Plant City man died late Wednesday when the left rear tire on his 2006 Pontiac GTO blew out and he lost control on a rural road in eastern Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Lonnie Willaford, of 306 Cason Street, was northbound on County Road 39 near Swilley Loop when the tire failed and his car went into a spin. It left the road on the west shoulder and struck a large oak tree, she said.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt, and died at the scene, Carter said.

-- Times Staff Writer