‘Dad, I need your help,' daughter screams as DUI suspect plows into teens, deputies say

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — An off-duty deputy’s daughter escaped injury when a DUI suspect struck five teens, Polk County deputies said.

Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Quintana was on the phone with his daughter Thursday afternoon when she was nearly hit by a vehicle driven by former Mississippi law enforcement officer John Camfield, investigators said.

“Dad, Dad, help me. Dad, I need your help,” Quintana said his daughter said to him moments after the crash.

The crash happened just before 5 p.m. on Allegheny Road near Athabasca Road in Poinciana, deputies said.

Quintana said he ran out of the house barefoot fearing the worst. He said his daughter was up and moving, not seriously injured, but other children were injured.

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“I switched from being a father to doing my job,” Quintana said.

The teens had just gotten off the bus from Dundee Ridge Middle School and were walking home when they were struck, deputies said.

Jonte Robinson, 15, was initially struck by Camfield, who continued driving before he hit Jasmine Robertson, 14, and Rylan Pryce, 12, deputies said. After Camfield hit the three teens, he continued driving and hit Jahiem Robertson, 13, Jasmine Robertson’s brother, and Juan Mena, 13, deputies said.

Jahiem Robertson died from his injuries. Mena is at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando.

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“Every morning I see those kids. Every afternoon I pick up my daughter. Every afternoon, I see those kids,” said

Quintana said he assessed the situation and ran back home to get his first aid kit from the trunk of his squad car.

Quintana said that when he got back on the scene, two nurses were helping the injured teens.

“I’ve been doing this job for almost four years and I’ve seen a lot. I’ve been involved in a lot. Nothing compares to hearing your daughter ask for help and you can’t do nothing,” he said. "One of those kids is my next door neighbor. I'm very close with his father and his family."

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Camfield struck another vehicle on Bayberry Road at Poinciana Parkway and could no longer drive the vehicle, deputies said.

Quintana helped detain Camfield until other deputies arrived.

Camfield’s blood-alcohol level was .146 percent seven hours after the crash, deputies said.

Camfield faces charges of DUI with serious bodily injury, DUI with serious bodily injury, DUI with injury/property damage, leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash with injury and reckless driving.

Camfield was a law enforcement officer at mutiple Mississippi agencies, including the Yolobusha County Sheriff's Office, the Tunica County Sheriff's Office, the Oxford Police Department and the Hernando Police Department, deputies said.

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Raw: 911 call after 5 children struck by suspected drunk driver

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