POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — An 11-year-old child was hospitalized following a hit-and-run crash Tuesday morning involving a Toyota SUV.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the hit-and-run crash happened around 8 a.m. at the intersection of Cedar Side Drive and Rio Grande Canyon Loop in Poinciana. Deputies said the suspect took off in a dark-colored Toyota 4-Runner.
Within a matter of hours, authorities found the vehicle and identified the suspected driver as 66-year-old Pierre Carmelo Jacinthe of Poinciana.
By 10:45 a.m., Jacinthe had turned himself in at the Davenport Police Department. He was charged with leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and tampering with evidence.
Jacinthe told detectives he struck the child by accident, panicked, and fled the scene. He then hid his vehicle in the garage at his home where detectives later found it.
Authorities said the child suffered a broken leg during the crash and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
“I’ve said it before, if you are involved in a crash, stop and call law enforcement. Leaving the scene of a crash is unacceptable, said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “Thankfully, the 11-year-old should make a full recovery, but the driver now faces felony charges. If he would have just remained at the scene, he might not have been charged with two felonies.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit is investigating the incident.
