Winter Haven man arrested for July 4th hit-and-run that killed teen girl, injured another

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigators have arrested a man they say hit two teens with his truck on Independence Day, killing one, before leaving the scene.

Matthew David O’Neill faces charges that include leaving the scene of a crash involving death and tampering with evidence, both first-degree felonies.

READ: Man accused of using racial slurs, threatening to kill stranger after following him home

On July 4th, just after 10 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash with serious injuries on the shoulder of New Tampa Highway near Clark Road in Lakeland.

According to the sheriff’s office, the two victims, both 14-year-old girls, were walking home from a party and not impeding traffic in any way when they were struck.

The vehicle involved, later identified as a 1999 Ford F-150 registered to O’Neill, then fled the scene.

Both victims were taken to the hospital where one of them died days later.

READ: Marion County deputies help search for man accused of shooting at 4 Levy County deputies

Surveillance video, debris from the truck’s grill, and a tip from a person saying they heard O’Neill talking about the crash led detectives to his home in Winter Haven.

That’s where detectives say they found the truck believed to be involved in the crash with what appeared to be blood and human hair still on it.

Investigators also noted the pieces of grill found at the scene matched with the truck at O’Neill’s home.

O’Neill initially told detectives he was never in Lakeland on July 4th, and that the damage to his grill was from a crash on July 6th in Winter Haven, but surveillance video proved that to be a lie, according to the sheriff’s office.

READ: Deputies: Wanted person arrested after standoff with law enforcement at Orange County home

“I can tell you that our detectives worked doggedly on this case right from the start,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Detectives first found the truck, then a suspect. Their diligence in gathering evidence shows that the suspect was the one who hit those young girls, then fled, and refused to accept responsibility.”

The sheriff’s office says detectives are still processing evidence from the truck for further analysis.

©2021 Cox Media Group