POLK CITY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office said a single-vehicle crash in Polk City caused the death of a 22-month-old toddler and left a 5-year-old with a fractured neck early Wednesday morning.
According to a press release, Guadalupe Najera Santana, 30, was driving a pickup west on Deen Still Road when she lost control around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities said she crashed through a barbed-wire fence and then hit multiple pine trees.
The nearly 2-year-old toddler was not in a child safety seat and was ejected, deputies said. PCSO said the toddler died at the scene. PCSO said detectives are still trying to determine if Najera Santana and the 5-year-old were wearing seatbelts.
Najera Santana was not injured, PCSO said.
Najera Santana admitted to drinking several beers, PCSO said, and multiple open and unopened containers of beer were found in and around the vehicle.
The sheriff's office said Najera Santana provided two breath samples which showed a breath-alcohol content of 0.141 and 0.139. The legal limit in Florida is 0.08.
Najera Santana was charged with DUI manslaughter, negligent child abuse (two counts), DUI serious bodily injury, DUI with property damage, DUI, and driving with an expired license.
“It is absolutely maddening, with so many other options available, that someone would choose to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "The result of this woman’s poor choice is the death of one child and the very serious injury to another child.”
PCSO said the investigation is ongoing, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been notified because Najera Santana is originally from Mexico and is in the U.S. on an expired work visa.
