Polk County Sheriff Press Release
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating fatal crash in Polk City.
On Friday, January 26, 2018, around 4:00 p.m., PCSO Traffic Homicide Unit responded to a single-vehicle crash involving a 1992 blue, Honda Accord driven by 25-year-old Rosetta Presley of Cocoa, when she crashed her vehicle on Deen Still Road in Polk City.
Preliminary investigation suggests:
Presley was traveling west on Deen Still Rd approximately 1 ½ miles east of Commonwealth Ave when her right tires left the roadway. Presley over corrected as she was attempting to move the vehicle back on the roadway. Presley then lost control of her car and the car slid sideways and struck a tree on the passenger side of the car. Due to the impact, the rear right passenger (Lisbon) was declared deceased on-scene and the left rear passenger (Elder) with critical injuries. Presley and Parris Jr. are expected to recover fully.
The passengers are:
Deceased – 19-year-old Thaddeus Lisbon of Cocoa, FL: Right, rear side passenger.
Minor Injuries – 24-year-old Brunsrick Parris Jr. of Cocoa, FL: Front seat passenger.
Critical Condition – 21-year-ld Jaimee Elder of Spring Hill, FL: Left, rear side passenger.
Presley and Parris Jr. were transported to LRHMC by ground and Elder was transported by air to LRHMC.
Presley told detectives that she was unfamiliar with the roadway and when a vehicle passed her on the left she moved over to the right and her tires left the roadway. Presley stated she attempted to return to the roadway but lost control of the vehicle and struck the tree after she slid.
The posted speed limit on the roadway was 55 and speed is thought to be a factor in the crash.
The two rear passengers in the vehicle were not wearing seatbelts.
The driver and front passenger were wearing seatbelts.
The investigation is on-going.
