Boy, 13, Dies After Former Cop Hits Group Of Kids

POINCIANA, FL — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has announced that one of five children struck by an alleged drunk driver Thursday afternoon has died from his injuries. Jahiem Robertson, 13, died early Friday morning, the agency reported.

“His family, his school, and his community, remain in our prayers,” an email from the sheriff’s office said.

The crash that led to Robertson’s death occurred Thursday evening after the five children got off their bus from Dundee Ridge Middle Academy. Deputies say the kids were on Allegheny Road near Athabasca in Poinciana, when John Camfield, 48, of Davenport, a former law enforcement officer, slammed into them. The children ranged in age from 12 to 15. Two were critically injured.

Get the Lakeland Patch newsletter and alerts in your inbox.

After crashing into the children, Camfield is accused of taking off from the scene and causing another crash involving a pregnant motorist in a vehicle. He was brought into custody by Deputy Jonathan Quintana, who was off-duty at the time. Quintana was tipped off about the crash involving the kids by his daughter, who rode the bus with those injured. She was not harmed in the crash.

The secondary accident occurred on the Poinciana Parkway, the agency said. Olivia Oliver was in a stopped Nissan when Camfield is accused of striking her car. She was not seriously injured, the agency noted.

Camfield has been charged with two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with bodily injury, three counts of DUI with injury and property damage and reckless driving.

Upgraded charges following Robertson’s death had not yet been announced.

"We are very proud of Deputy Sheriff J.J. Quintana who raced to the scene, barefoot, to help, and who took this suspect into custody before he could hurt anyone else," the sheriff's office said Friday.

Camfield, the agency reported, is a former Mississippi law enforcement officer.

Keep up with what's happening by following Lakeland Patch on Facebook.

Photos of Camfield and his car courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office