POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A single-vehicle crash in unincorporated Polk City early Wednesday morning claimed the life of a 22-month-old boy and left a 5-year-old boy with a fractured neck.
The driver of the vehicle, who was not injured, was arrested by Traffic Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
30-year-old Guadalupe Najera Santana was charged with: DUI-Manslaughter (F2), Negligent Child Abuse (2-Counts, F2) DUI-Serious Bodily Injury (F3), DUI with Property Damage (M1), DUI (M2), and Driving with an Expired License (M2).
According to deputies, Santana resides in Polk City, but is originally from Mexico and is in the United States on an expired work visa. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been notified.
Deputies from the PCSO were dispatched to the crash at about 12:15 a.m., Wednesday, October 12, 2022, along with Polk County Fire Rescue. The crash occurred on Deen Still Road at Old Grade Road, about ten miles north of the city of Lake Alfred.
Upon the arrival of first responders, the toddler was found deceased. The 5-year-old boy was transported to the hospital for his injuries.
The toddler, who was not in a child safety seat, was ejected from the vehicle. Detectives are still trying to determine if the adult and 5-year-old were wearing seat belts.
According to the preliminary investigation, Santana was driving a black 2019 Chevrolet pickup truck west on Deen Still Road when she lost control of the truck, crashed through a barbed-wire fence, and struck multiple pine trees.
Santana was determined to be impaired by detectives, and multiple open and unopened containers of beer were also found in and around the vehicle. She admitted to detectives that she had consumed several beers earlier in the evening.
“It is absolutely maddening, with so many other options available, that someone would choose to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The result of this woman’s poor choice is the death of one child, and the very serious injury to another child,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Santana was arrested and taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center to be booked into the Polk County Jail. There she provided two breath samples that showed a breath-alcohol content of 0.141 g/210L of breath and 0.139 g/210L of breath. The legal threshold is 0.08 g/210L of breath.
The roadway was closed for approximately four hours, but the investigation remains ongoing.
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