13-Year-Old Dies, Numerous Others Injured in DUI Hit-and-Run in Polk County

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on May 1, 2017

A 13-year-old boy has died and five other people injured in an accident that occurred in Polk County last Thursday afternoon. This horrific event was first responded to by a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy, who was talking on the phone to his 11-year-old daughter at the time of the accident. The deputy, Jonathan “JJ” Quintana, is recorded as having told reporters that he was asleep when his daughter, who was on her way home from school, called him to see if he could pick her up from a nearby bus stop. Before he could even get off the phone, the daughter began to scream and call for help.

Quintana rushed out of his home without even stopping to put on shoes and ran to the bus stop. While his daughter was alive and safe, he found himself facing a terrifying scene of destruction nevertheless. Five students from the Dundee Ridge Middle Academy were struck by a car as they were on their way home from school. Quintana ran back home, collected some shoes, and drove his patrol car back to the scene. By this time several nurses had also stopped to help the children. It is not clear whether or not Quintana called for an ambulance during this time.

Witnesses to the scene pointed out a car down the road that they said was responsible for the accident. The car was around 4,000 feet away from the intersection at this time. It was crashed into another vehicle, motionless. While Quintana rushed over to the car, the door opened and John Camfield, a 48-year-old from Davenport, staggered out. Camfield was himself once a law-enforcement officer who had worked for numerous agencies throughout Mississippi and had only relocated to Florida in 2012. As well as the children, Camfield also struck a pregnant woman.

The children hit by Camfield are Jahiem Robertson, 13; John Mean, 13; Jonte Robinson, 15; Jasmine Robertson, 14; and the 12-year-old Rylan Price. Jaheim Robertson later died as a result of his injuries. John Mean is currently in intensive care. It is believed that he is suffering from orbital fractures. The other three children suffered minor injuries.

Camfield, who it is believed was intoxicated at the time of the incident, was reportedly trying to treat the incident light heartedly as he was being arrested. Currently, the charges he faces include DUI with serious bodily injury and fleeing from the scene of a crash.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.