Man, 30, dies in early morning 'T-Bone' crash with semi-truck on Southern Boulevard

ROYAL PALM BEACH — A 30-year-old man died early Thursday after a semi-truck hit his SUV at Southern and Forest Hill boulevards in Royal Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said.

Paramedics pronounced Kyle Dougherty dead at the scene just before 4:40 a.m. from the injuries he sustained in the "T-bone"-style collision.

Dougherty worked as a cook in the Dunkin' Donuts on Wellington Trace and was on his way to work for an early-morning shift when he got in the fatal wreck, a store employee confirmed. He was a husband and father to a daughter and would have turned 31 in October.

"He was a great worker and family man," the Dunkin' Donuts employee said. "We as a work family are crushed."

Dougherty, a Fort Pierce resident, was westbound on Southern in a 2018 Honda HRV. A Peterbilt semi-truck was eastbound on the same road.

Crash investigators said evidence from the scene suggests that Dougherty, for unknown reasons, turned into the truck's lane as both vehicles approached Forest Hill. The front of the truck slammed into the Honda's passenger side, and the two vehicles moved together across the road before coming to a stop in a nearby merging lane.

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No charges were pending Thursday against the driver of the truck, a 49-year-old Okeechobee man who received care for minor injuries at nearby Palms West Hospital.

The crash remains under investigation, according to investigators. There was no evidence at the scene to indicate that either drugs or alcohol played a role in the wreck. The report does not indicate the speeds at which the vehicles were traveling at the time of the crash.

Customers reacted to the news online with heartfelt messages describing Dougherty as "the nicest guy you could meet" and sending prayers to his family and friends.

"He always had a smile and said hello to me and talked to me for a couple of minutes," wrote Rick Febles on Facebook.

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Fort Pierce man dies in early morning crash in Royal Palm Beach