$10K Reward Offered in Polk County Hit-And-Run

POLK COUNTY, FL — As Polk County Sheriff’s deputies continue to search for a motorist who injured one of their own and killed a Tampa woman in a Saturday hit-and-run crash, the reward being offered for information in the case has climbed to $10,000.

The sheriff’s office announced the increase Monday.

The crash occurred early Saturday morning in the Lake Wales area. The sheriff’s office said Deputy Adam Pennell, 25, was on his way to a call and was driving west on State Road 60 just before the crash occurred. As Pennell drove between Tiger Lake and Sam Keen roads, he spotted a woman standing in the median by herself.

Pennell told dispatch he was stopping to check on the woman around 12:34 a.m. Oct. 29. He activated his lights, pulled over and spoke with the woman. At 12:35 a.m., he called for EMS to assist after learning the woman had been in a crash and her vehicle had struck a tree. At 12:37 a.m., Pennell reclassified the call to a traffic crash before updating dispatch at 12:38 a.m. with more information.

When EMS arrived on the scene at 12:45 a.m., they found Pennell and the woman, Jessica Enchautegui-Otero, 33, of Tampa, suffering from serious injuries related to a hit-and-run crash. Enchautegui-Otero was taken to Lake Wales Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Pennell was taken to Lakeland Regional Health with serious injuries. He is expected to recover, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said Enchatutegui-Otero’s 2009 Toyota Matrix was found completely off the roadway. She was heading east on State Road 60, just east of Sam Keen Road, when her vehicle left the road and hit a tree.

The vehicle that struck the two is believed to have been heading westbound. Deputies say the unknown vehicle entered the median, hit the two and then fled the scene.

“We do not have any information about the suspect vehicle,” an email from the sheriff’s office said. “We are hopeful someone will have information about this. The vehicle will have front-end damage.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS. Information that leads to an arrest could be worth a $3,000 reward.

Photo courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office