Troopers say a 25-year-old woman was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly driving the wrong way on the Polk Parkway before being stopped with a PIT maneuver.
By Daily Ridge Staff
LAKELAND, Fla. — Sept. 9, 2026
A 25-year-old woman was arrested early Wednesday after authorities say she drove the wrong way on the Polk Parkway with a 7-year-old child inside the vehicle.
According to information from the Florida Highway Patrol and an arrest report, authorities received a call shortly after midnight regarding a vehicle traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of State Road 570, also known as the Polk Parkway.
A Lakeland Police officer spotted the vehicle and began following the driver, later identified as Natalia Gorecki, 25.
Troopers eventually caught up with the vehicle and attempted to stop it.
According to the arrest report, Gorecki continued traveling the wrong way at approximately 60 mph and at one point nearly collided head-on with a patrol vehicle.
With concerns that the wrong-way driving could result in a serious crash, a trooper performed a PIT maneuver when traffic conditions allowed. The maneuver successfully brought the vehicle to a stop.
According to the arrest report, Gorecki questioned the trooper after the stop, asking, “What the hell did I do that for?”
Authorities then discovered a 7-year-old girl secured in a car seat in the rear passenger area of the vehicle. The child was later picked up by her grandmother.
Troopers reported that Gorecki had red and glassy eyes, smelled of alcohol and performed poorly during field sobriety exercises.
She was taken into custody and faces charges including DUI, child endangerment or neglect, fleeing to elude, reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful breath test.
No serious injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
The child’s identity was not released.
Bond and current custody information were not immediately available.
Daily Ridge will update this story if additional information becomes available through Polk County jail or court records.
