LAKE WALES, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced Wednesday the arrest of a 43‑year‑old Lake Wales man accused of two hit‑and‑run crashes while driving under the influence Tuesday night.
PCSO reported the first crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. on March 10 at the intersection of US Highway 27 and Cypress Gardens Boulevard, where the driver of a tan Toyota Camry fled the scene after rear‑ending a silver Hyundai sedan in the right‑turn lane.
Five minutes later...the same Camry driver fled another scene after striking a white Chevrolet sedan traveling westbound on Cypress Gardens Boulevard near Mahaffey Road, according to PCSO.
A witness from the second crash told the authorities about seeing an older tan sedan leaving the area with a man who had visible facial injuries, per PCSO's report. Another witness found Camry parked on the grounds of Garden Grove Elementary School.
Deputies reported locating the driver sitting in the heavy front-end damaged Camry behind the school in a closed parking lot near the dumpsters. Deputies also reported seeing "signs of impairment, including bloodshot watery eyes, the odor of alcohol, slurred speech, and difficulty maintaining balance."
PCSO said the driver refused answering questions about the crashes, his injuries, or alcohol consumption, while also refusing field sobriety exercises and a breath test.
Deputies then arrested Juan Medina, according to PCSO.
Medina is currently on felony probation for trafficking in heroin, active from 2021 through 2031, according to PCSO.
Medina faces two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with injury, DUI-related charges, as well as trespassing on school grounds and violation of probation charges.
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