Two hit-and-run crashes, five frantic minutes, and a badly banged-up Toyota Camry ended with a Lake Wales man in handcuffs behind an elementary school, according to Polk County deputies.
Deputies say it all unfolded Tuesday evening along Cypress Gardens Boulevard, where a tan Toyota Camry allegedly hit two vehicles, fled both scenes, then turned up on school grounds with its injured driver still sitting inside.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the first crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Cypress Gardens Boulevard. Investigators say the tan Camry rear-ended a silver Hyundai that was waiting in the right-turn lane.
Just minutes later, deputies say the same Camry struck a white Chevrolet near Mahaffey Road. Witnesses told investigators they saw an older tan sedan leave that second scene, driven by a man who had visible injuries to his face. Another witness later spotted the heavily damaged Camry on nearby school property, and deputies found the driver sitting inside the wrecked car behind the school. They reported signs of impairment, including bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech, as reported by Tampa Bay 28.
Crashes Trace Back To Elementary School Grounds
The crashes played out along a busy stretch of Cypress Gardens Boulevard near the U.S. 27 interchange and Mahaffey Road, a corridor that sees steady evening traffic. Deputies say the damaged Camry ultimately wound up on the campus of Garden Grove Elementary, which is listed at 4599 Cypress Gardens Road by Polk County Schools. School officials had not been quoted in initial reports about the incident.
Refusals, Probation, And A Stack Of Charges
Deputies arrested 43-year-old Juan Medina at the scene. According to the sheriff’s office, Medina refused to answer questions about either crash, declined to perform field sobriety exercises, and also refused a breath test.
Medina faces two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with injury, DUI-related charges, trespassing on school grounds, and a probation-violation charge. The sheriff’s office says he is currently on felony probation for a 2021 heroin-trafficking case. Officials did not immediately release information about the condition of anyone injured in the crashes, as reported by Tampa Bay 28.
Investigation Still Active
Polk County deputies say the case remains under active investigation and additional details were not available as of Wednesday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
