Polk County Sheriff Captures Hit-and-Run Suspect After Tragic Incident Involving Two Children

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – In a tragic turn of events this week, a young child lost their life in a hit-and-run incident. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has confirmed that the suspect involved has been apprehended.

Officials identified the suspect as 30-year-old Victoria Johnson. According to deputies, Johnson allegedly struck two young children near a church on Wednesday evening.

The sheriff’s office reported that one of the victims, an 8-year-old child, succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident. The other child, aged 10, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital for a broken leg, broken arm, and a skull fracture.

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The deputies noted, “The children, who are not siblings, were attending a church event. As they attempted to cross the street after a truck had passed, they were tragically struck by a vehicle heading north.”

Afterward, the vehicle drove off, deputies reported.

But following an “around-the-clock investigation,” Johnson was pinned as the driver and booked in the Polk County Jail on Thursday evening, Judd declared.

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“The suspect vehicle — a 2009 blue Hyundai Santa Fe — was located and seized from a resident on SR 60 East in Lake Wales,” the release reads. “The investigation is ongoing on how and why it ended up there.”

Now, Johnson faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash, tampering with evidence, filing a false police report, and driving with a suspended license.

Deputies said her criminal history includes a November 2025 arrest by the Winter Haven Police Department for DUI.