FROSTPROOF, Fla. — A 32-year-old woman is accused of causing a serious crash that resulted in two children being thrown from the car she was driving Friday night in Polk County.
Ashauntie Cox was trying to drive away from two crashes that she caused while being under the influence, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The first crash occurred at about 8 p.m. on U.S. Highway 27 at the intersection with U.S. Highway 98 near the Frostproof area, deputies say. Cox was reportedly driving her car southbound on U.S. Highway 27 when she crashed into a pickup truck and then sped away from the scene, authorities say.
The 32-year-old reportedly continued to "recklessly speed" southbound on U.S. Highway 27. As she weaved in and out of traffic, Cox rear-ended an SUV while trying to pass them and another car next to it that was headed in the same direction.
The sheriff's office said the collision with the SUV caused Cox's car to flip several times and two children -- ages 5 and 8 years old -- were thrown out of the car. They were taken to Tampa General Hospital with significant injuries and were said to be in critical condition.
“This woman had no regard for anyone’s life when she got behind the wheel intoxicated and then drove recklessly down a major highway, but what’s worse is the blatant disregard she had for the lives of the innocent children in her car," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "I expect a successful prosecution to hold her accountable—and let’s hope she loses her driving privileges if she’s released from jail or prison.
"Please keep these babies and their families in your prayers.”
A 27-year-old woman who was in the passenger seat of Cox's car in the crash also suffered serious injuries along her spinal cord, hip and back and is currently recovering at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, deputies say.
Authorities say they detected the smell of marijuana and found a bottle of tequila in the 32-year-old's car. Cox then reportedly told deputies she was driving from Orlando to Avon Park to celebrate the 5-year-old's kindergarten graduation and admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day while also having four shots of tequila.
Cox showed several signs of impairment while talking to law enforcement and was booked into the Polk County Jail. She was charged with serious bodily injury, negligent child abuse with great bodily harm, reckless driving, DUI and DUI with property damage.
