Plant City Teen Confesses to Deadly Polk County Hit-and-Run Accident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 22, 2021

An investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office into a fatal hit-and-run accident on State Road 60 over the weekend quickly wrapped up as an 18-year-old man from Plant City turned himself in less than ten hours after he allegedly ran over a 48-year-old pedestrian from Tampa.

According to preliminary reports from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, it was approximately 9:10 p.m. on July 16, 2021, when 18-year-old Brock Case was driving a 1995 Dodge truck in the westbound direction of S.R. 60 near Mulberry. As the teenager approached the vicinity of Espo Road, he crashed into a 48-year-old man from Tampa who was walking in the roadway. The force of impact from the collision was violent enough to deploy the truck’s airbag and destroy both of the vehicle’s front headlights, yet Case did not step out of the Dodge to assess the damage. After pulling over to the side of the road for a moment, believing he ran over a dog, Case proceeded on his way along State Road 60 without ever calling 9-1-1 or checking to see what could’ve possibly caused such incredible destruction to his vehicle.

At some point during the early morning hours after the car accident, Brock Case was discussing the events of the previous evening with family and friends and finally came to the conclusion that he should turn himself in, and he did just that. Shortly after 3:30 a.m. the next day, 18-year-old Case arrived at a Lakeland branch of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and reported the collision. Officers indicated that he was in full cooperation with the authorities as he was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death, which is a first-degree felony.

“While we are proud of this young man for turning himself in, we want to use this as another opportunity to reiterate that failing to stop and render aid or call 911 when you are involved in a crash can mean the difference between life and death, and the difference between being charged with a felony or not being arrested at all. It is possible Case would not have been charged had he simply stopped and dialed 911, due to the fact of where and how the victim was walking in the roadway. Our prayers are with the victim’s family,” said Sheriff Grady Judd in a statement to the press.

Since 1977, Polk County personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has been fighting for the rights of victims who have been severely injured or killed in pedestrian accidents. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY.

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.