A quiet stretch of early-morning road in Loughman turned chaotic when a hit-and-run at Ronald Reagan Parkway and Lake Wilson Road sent one driver to the hospital and sparked a search that ended behind a nearby chicken wing joint, according to deputies.
The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. Monday, authorities said. One vehicle stayed at the intersection, and its driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, treated, and released. The other vehicle took off, but deputies say that escape did not last long.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd posted on X that deputies later found a white Kia Soul parked unoccupied behind a Wingstop near the intersection. A deputy contacted the suspected driver by phone and convinced her to turn herself in, according to the sheriff.
The suspect, identified by the sheriff as 30-year-old Tianna Marie Velazquez of Davenport, allegedly admitted she had been behind the wheel. Deputies say she was arrested and booked on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with injury.
On Monday, April 13th, at around 1:30 am, a traffic crash occurred at the intersection of Ronald Reagan Parkway and Lake Wilson Road in Loughman.
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) April 13, 2026
One of the drivers suffered minor injuries and had to be transported to the hospital where he was treated and released.
But the… pic.twitter.com/nRvKsx2RiA
Charge And State Law
Leaving the scene of a crash that causes injury is a third-degree felony under Florida law and can carry up to five years in prison and fines, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles notes. A conviction can also bring license revocation and other penalties, depending on how serious the crash is.
Where Deputies Say They Found The Car
Deputies said the Kia Soul was discovered parked and unoccupied behind a Wingstop at 7860 Lake Wilson Road, part of a fast-food strip just off Ronald Reagan Parkway. The corridor along that stretch of CR-54 has been on the radar in local planning documents. The Polk TPO roadway database shows the CR-54 segment near Lake Wilson has logged multiple crashes in recent years, underscoring how busy that route has become.
What Comes Next
Authorities say Velazquez was taken to the sheriff's processing center and booked on the felony leaving-the-scene charge. The sheriff's post on X asks anyone with dash-cam or cellphone video from around the time of the crash to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Tips can also be sent through the department’s contact page at the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
