FROSTPROOF, Fla. — Two state correctional officers were arrested for lying to cover up a hit-and-run crash involving the father of one of the officers, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reports.
The crash happened around 3:13 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Platt Road and South Lake Patrick Road in Frostproof. Evidence showed that the driver of a gray 2021 Hyundai flipped and rolled through a fence into a privately owned citrus grove, causing about $3,000 in damage to the trees and irrigation system.
When deputies arrived, there was no one in the car.
The sheriff's office then located the owners of the car, 38-year-old Michael Granger and 29-year-old Leila Chaney, at their home. Both worked for the Florida Department of Corrections at the Avon Park Correctional Institute.
Chaney reportedly told deputies she was the one who crashed the car and left the scene, but they noticed she had no obvious injuries.
Deputies attempted to take her into custody but said she began yelling and pulling away to avoid being arrested. Chaney was eventually arrested and confessed to lying about the crash, according to the sheriff's office.
Chaney told deputies the actual driver was 63-year-old Michael Granger, who is the 38-year-old Granger's father. She also admitted that he was hiding in the house despite previously saying no one else was home.
Deputies took Granger, 63, to a local hospital for minor injuries before booking him at the sheriff's processing center on three charges — leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, resisting arrested and knowingly driving with a suspended license.
He remains in the Polk County Jail without bond and is set to have his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon. According to the sheriff's office, 63-year-old Granger has a criminal history of DUI and grand motor vehicle theft.
“There is never a good reason to leave a crash scene or lie about your involvement. Just do what’s right – it will be better for all involved in the long run," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
Granger, 38, was charged with providing false information during a felony investigation. He was released from the Polk County Jail after paying a $500 bond.
Chaney was charged with providing false information during a felony investigation and resisting arrest. She was released from the Polk County Jail after paying a $1,000 bond.