Fort Myers woman dies after vehicle crashes into pole, bursts into flames near Palm Beach Blvd.

A 52-year-old Fort Myers woman died after her vehicle crashed into a metal pole and became engulfed in flames on Monday afternoon. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 2019 Kia Optima that the woman was driving was traveling at a slow speed in the parking lot of 4901 Palm Beach Boulevard. Troopers said that for unknown reasons, the vehicle entered a grassy island in the parking lot and struck an unoccupied bicycle that was chained to a metal pole, and the front of the vehicle caught fire. Firefighters were able to remove the woman from the vehicle before it became fully engulfed by flames. The woman was transported to an area hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to FHP. FHP said the crash remains under investigation to determine if she suffered a medical episode before the crash. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.