WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Lake Wales man is behind bars after Polk County deputies say he was involved in two hit-and-run crashes while driving under the influence, eventually hiding his damaged car in an elementary school parking lot.
Juan Medina, 43, was arrested Tuesday evening following the series of collisions that left multiple people injured.
At around 7:10 p.m. deputies say that Medina was driving a tan Toyota Camry when he rear-ended a silver Hyundai at the intersection of US Highway 27 and Cypress Gardens Boulevard. Investigators say that the impact caused significant damage, and while the victim reported minor injuries, Medina drove off before help arrived.
Timeline:
About five minutes later, authorities say that the same Camry struck a white Chevrolet sedan near Mahaffey Road, injuring the driver and two passengers.
Once again, Medina left the scene in his car.
A witness to the second crash told investigators that the driver had facial injuries and another witness directed deputies to Garden Grove Elementary School where Medina had parked his Camry.
When deputies arrived at the school, they found Medina in the driver's seat with the car still running. Deputies also found a bottle of Bourbon next to Medina's car that was nearly empty.
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Investigators noted that Medina showed several signs of impairment, including:
- Bloodshot, watery eyes
- The strong odor of alcohol
- Slurred speech and poor balance
- A large laceration on his forehead
Medina refused to answer questions about the crashes. He declined field sobriety exercises and later refused a breath test at the jail.
Charges
- Leaving the scene of a crash with injury (2 counts)
- DUI with property damage/personal injury (2 counts)
- DUI
- Trespassing on school grounds
- Violation of probation
Sheriff Grady Judd noted that Medina is currently on felony probation for heroin trafficking until 2031.
What they're saying:
"This suspect made a series of dangerous choices that could have easily ended in tragedy," Judd said. "He put innocent people in danger and then drove onto school property while impaired. Thankfully, this happened after hours, but his actions were reckless and completely unacceptable."
Medina was evaluated for his injuries at the scene before being booked into the Polk County Jail.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.