Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove erroneous information about the suspect’s employer that was provided by the sheriff’s office.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A woman from Winter Haven found herself behind bars after she was accused of leaving the scene of a minor fender-bender.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the crash happened on Dec. 30 at the entrance to The Villages at Spirit Lake subdivision.
When deputies arrived, there was only one car left in the area, which had damage to its rear, a PCSO news release stated. The other driver told deputies a woman in a white pickup hit her Toyota Camry, got out of the truck and claimed neither vehicle was damaged. The woman, who is considered at-fault for the crash, sped away while the other driver called 911, according to PCSO.
Surveillance camera video of the incident pointed deputies toward Ashley Welch, 39, who lives in the neighborhood. According to PCSO, deputies had to track down the truck after Welch said she parked it at another location.
“All Ms. Welch had to do was stop and exchange information. She turned a minor fender-bender into an arrest,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “Crashes are inconvenient and a part of life. We ask everyone to follow the law and do what’s right.”
Welch was arrested and cited with leaving the scene of a crash with property damage. She has since been released on bond.
