WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (CBS12) — A Winter Haven woman was arrested Thursday following a hit-and-run crash that left an 8-year-old boy dead and a 10-year-old boy seriously injured.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, 30-year-old Victoria Johnson fled the scene of the incident, which occurred just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday outside Faith Baptist Church on Crystal Beach Road.
Authorities report that both boys were crossing the street when Johnson's truck struck them. The 8-year-old died at the scene, while the 10-year-old was transported to Arnold Palmer Hospital with critical injuries, including a broken arm, a broken femur, and a compound skull fracture.
Surveillance footage and debris helped investigators identify a dark SUV involved in the crash. On Thursday, Johnson attempted to report her 2009 blue Hyundai Santa Fe stolen. However, deputies found her vehicle shortly thereafter on SR 60 in Lake Wales.
Johnson provided conflicting statements about the vehicle's whereabouts, initially claiming it was stolen, later saying she loaned it to someone.
During the investigation, deputies spotted her damaged Hyundai and initiated a pursuit involving a driver named Corey Stewart and a passenger, Mya Bass, who barricaded themselves in a home before being arrested for resisting law enforcement.
Authorities confirmed that Johnson had used methamphetamine before driving on the night of the incident.
She faces multiple charges, including:
- Leaving the scene of a crash with death
- Leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury
- Tampering with evidence
- Driving without a license, causing death
- Providing false information to law enforcement