Corrections Officers Accused Of Lying About Polk Hit-And-Run Crash

POLK COUNTY, FL — The Polk County Sheriff's Office has arrested two corrections officers after deputies said they lied during a hit-and-run investigation.

On Tuesday, deputies arrested 38-year-old Michael Granger and 29-year-old Leila Chaney, both from Frostproof, who work as corrections officers with the Florida Department of Corrections' Avon Park Correctional Institute.

Deputies also arrested 63-year-old Michael Granger of Frostproof, the father of 38-year-old Granger.

According to the sheriff's office, at 3:13 p.m., deputies responded to the intersection of Platt Road and South Lake Patrick Road in Frostproof for a single-vehicle crash.

A gray 2021 Hyundai flipped and rolled through a fence line and into a privately owned citrus grove, causing around $3,000 worth of damage to trees and an irrigation system.

Deputies found the vehicle unoccupied and believed the driver was injured due to blood found at the scene.

They located the Hyundai owners, Chaney and the younger Granger, at their home. Chaney told deputies that she was the one who crashed the vehicle. Since Chaney had no obvious injuries, deputies continued to question her about the crash, and she continued to insist she caused the crash and then left the scene.

Her story was backed up by Granger who said Chaney was the only person in the Hyundai at the time of the crash.

But when deputies attempted to take Chaney into custody, she began yelling and pulling away to avoid being arrested. Once arrested, Chaney told deputies she was lying about the crash. She said the driver of the Hyundai was actually 63-year-old Michael Granger and that he was hiding in the house.

Deputies found 63-year-old Granger and took him to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. He was then taken to the sheriff’s Processing Center and booked on three charges.

“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," said Sheriff Grady Judd.

The younger Michael Granger was arrested for providing false information during a felony investigation. He was released from the Polk County Jail after paying a $500 bond.

Chaney was arrested for providing false information during a felony investigation and
resisting arrest. She was released from the Polk County Jail after paying a $1,000 bond.