POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested one driver, and deputies are looking for a second who left the scene after hitting a woman who was riding a scooter.
Kelli Marie Black, 40, of Polk City died Thursday morning after she was hit by two drivers. A good Samaritan was injured while trying to help Black.
Local rapper Corey Wesley Jones, 28, of Lakeland was arrested on Thursday.
Jones is accused of being the driver of the first vehicle that struck Black. He is charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury and reckless driving with serious bodily injury.
Jones is also known as “DB da Kid.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Jones had made a statement that he thought he hit something. Deputies located his SUV, which they said has damage.
Surveillance video shows both crashes happened within one minute.
Investigators say Black was hit the first time at 2:20 a.m.
She was riding an unregistered scooter northbound on North Galloway Road, north of the railroad tracks and south of Kathleen Road. Detectives say a 2002 black GMC SUV driven by Jones hit Black and the scooter and then drove away.
“The first thing that came to our mind was we got to go help her,” Markel Grant told News Channel 8.
Grant and his friend Kalen Lawson of Ft. Hood, Texas, who is an active duty member of the U.S. Army, stopped to help Black. As he was rendering aid, a white or light colored Ford F-150 pickup truck that was traveling northbound on US 98 hit and struck Lawson and Black.
“We assumed they were going to stop because I had my hazards on and everything,” Grant said.
“It looked like they were slowing down but when I turned around, they ran over the woman who was already the middle of the road, and hit my friend and flipped into the air.”
Black died at the scene.
“I just started bawling,” her son Dustin Black told News Channel on a video phone call from Minnesota where he lives. He said his mom leaves behind four children and a lot of good memories.
“She was a sweet warm-hearted woman and she would do anything in the world for anyone,” he said.
Black said he planned to come home in the coming days to say good bye to his mother. He also said he’s thankful for those who stopped to help his mother in her final moments.
“I appreciate the guy trying to help my mom. I really do. I hope he feels better and gets well soon.”
Lawson was transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center with a serious leg injury. Lawson, who is from Lakeland, is expected to recover from his injuries and underwent surgery today.
“His leg is fractured in two places. He made it out of surgery. He also has some lacerations on his face and his eye,” his mother, Tonya Lawson, said.
Lawson said she is proud of what her son did.
“I’m just glad he stopped. I know he was there with her holding her hand and she told him not to leave and he wasn’t going to leave her,” she said in tears.
“My heart goes out for her family and her friends. But I’m just glad my son is okay.”
“All of us have a fundamental moral responsibility to stop when involved in a crash. It’s just basic human decency and it’s the law. Our prayers are with the family of the deceased victim. I am so proud of Kalen Lawson, Active Duty US Army, who stopped to help. Our thoughts and prayers are with him as he recuperates,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Deputies are still searching for the second driver, believed to be a white or light colored Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Anyone with any information that can help investigators is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (863) 298-6200.
Those with information who wish to remain anonymous and/or be eligible for a cash reward from Heartland Crime Stoppers may call 1-800-226-TIPS (8477) or go to heartlandcrimestoppers.com to leave a tip. Those with smartphones may download a free P3tips app linked from the website.
