POLK COUNTY, Fla. – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested an employee of the Polk County School Board on Sunday afternoon, January 31, 2021, after she was involved in a single-vehicle crash near Lake Wales.
Amy Steele, 45, of Lake Wales, crashed a black 2012 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck into a barbed wire fence at 5571 Lake Mabel Loop Road at around 4:03 PM. She was not injured.
Ms. Steele is currently employed by the Polk County School Board in the Curriculum and Instruction Department as a Social Science Coach.
“Educators need to conduct themselves in a manner which sets a good example to children. That’s the expectation we have for our firefighters, people in the medical field, politicians, clergy, and of course, law enforcement. Thankfully, this was not a serious crash, but the issue of driving while impaired is still a very serious problem.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
According to the arrest affidavit, the deputy who responded to the crash, reported that she smelled the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from Ms. Steele, whose eyes looked bloodshot and watery.
A Field Sobriety Test resulted in the determination that Ms. Steele was impaired, and had been driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. She was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail, where she was charged with Driving Under the Influence with Property Damage (M1).
Ms. Steele provided two breath samples, .183 and .178 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. A person is in violation if their breath sample results in 0.08 or more grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.