Winter Haven Man Accused Of Hit-And-Run That Killed Girl

POLK COUNTY, FL — A 28-year-old Winter Haven man has been accused of a fatal hit-and-run involving two teenage girls who walked to their Lakeland home the night of July 4, Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Matthew David O'Neill was arrested Wednesday on charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death. According to the affidavit, O'Neill drove his white 1999 Ford F150 truck westbound on New Tampa Highway at the same time the two girls were walking in the same area near Clark Road after they left a party.

At 10:11 p.m., a surveillance camera from a nearby store showed a truck matching the suspect's hitting the two victims and throwing them into the grass shoulder where they had been walking. Both girls were unconscious. The truck is seen speeding away, investigators said.

One of the girls, 14, died two days later. The other 14-year-old girl was released from the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. July 14, the sheriff's office received a tip that the suspect had been overheard making comments about how he was in the area of the crash the night it happened, and knew he had hit something but was unsure of what it could have been. A search warrant was authorized for O'Neill's house, 105 Ring Lake Drive, Winter Haven, the same day. O'Neill's suspect vehicle was parked and in the driveway of his home. Authorities questioned him and took the truck to the crime scene warehouse.

Damage and evidence, such as human hair and blood, found on the truck matched what would be consistent with hitting a person, detectives said. Witnesses told authorities that July 6, they saw him working on the front part of his truck for a long time. An empty bottle of ammonia was found in the trash at his home, and the inspection of the truck showed recent attempts of the hood being cleaned.

“I can tell you that our detectives worked doggedly on this case right from the start. We received numerous tips, most of which didn’t pan-out," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Detectives first found the truck, then a suspect. Their diligence in gathering evidence shows that the suspect was the one who hit those young girls, then fled, and refused to accept responsibility.”

O'Neill faces the following charges, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office:

• Leaving the scene of a crash involving death
• Leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries
• Tampering with evidence

*Patch will not release the names of minors