WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A Winter Haven Police sergeant escaped serious injury after his patrol car was repeatedly rammed by a hit-and-run driver on Saturday night.
The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m. at the intersection of Cypress Gardens Boulevard and 9th Street SE. The sergeant was stopped at a red light when a white Ford Mustang Mach-E struck his cruiser from behind.
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Before the sergeant could exit his vehicle, the Mustang driver reversed and struck the cruiser two more times before fleeing the scene. The suspect vehicle was last seen heading eastbound on Cypress Gardens Boulevard.
Witnesses described the driver as a white male, and there was also a white female passenger in the vehicle. However, due to tinted windows, neither the sergeant nor witnesses were able to get a clear view of the occupants.
A joint search effort by Winter Haven Police and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office led to the discovery of the Mustang at a residence in the Lake Dexter area. The vehicle had front-end damage consistent with the incident.
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The female owner of the vehicle was located at the residence and confirmed she was a passenger in the car during the crash. However, she was unable or unwilling to identify the driver.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for this brazen attack on a law enforcement officer.
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