LAKELAND, Fla. — Three people, including two children, are in critical condition after being hit by an SUV in Lakeland Sunday night.
The Lakeland Police Department said that on Jan. 15, around 8:55 p.m., officers arrived at Socrum Loop and Fernery Road after receiving reports of a crash.
Investigators said a 1996 Ford Explorer was traveling south on Socrum Loop Road when a woman, Catherine DeClaire, 36, and two children, 10 and eight, "darted" into the road.
The driver of the SUV, Jimmy Kasapis, 20, hit the brakes and tried to avoid them but ended up hitting all three. Police, the Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department attempted life-saving measures at the site of the crash.
The children were transported to Tampa General Hospital by helicopter, and the woman was taken to Lakeland Regional Health for further treatment. All three were listed in critical condition.
Investigators said speed and impairment were not factors in the crash.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
