WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A sergeant for the Winter Haven Police Department has been released from the hospital after an SUV struck his patrol vehicle multiple times at a red light before taking off, according to investigators.
It happened around 9:40 p.m. Saturday while the sergeant was waiting on Cypress Gardens Boulevard at 9th Street SE in Winter Haven, the police department said in a statement. A white Ford Mustang Mach-E rear-ended the cruiser, then backed up and struck the cruiser two more times before the sergeant could exit his vehicle, police said. After this, the Mustang was driven away eastbound on Cypress Gardens Boulevard, the statement reads.
The sergeant was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure for minor back pain, police said.
The Mustang’s occupants have been described as a White male driver and a White female passenger, yet neither the sergeant nor any witnesses were able to get a good look at them due to the SUV having tinted windows, according to the statement.
A search for the suspect vehicle — conducted by Winter Haven police and Polk County deputies — was a success, police said. It was found at a residence in the Lake Dexter area and was seen to have front-end damage consistent with the crash, the statement reads. Not only that, but the registered owner of the vehicle reportedly stated she was inside of the SUV at the time of the incident. However, investigators have still not determined who the driver was, according to the statement.
Anyone with more information about the crash or knowledge of the Mustang’s driver is urged to contact the police department at 863-401-2256.
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