Inset: Victoria Johnson (Polk County Jail). Background: Faith Baptist Church in Winter Haven, Florida, where Johnson allegedly hit two boys crossing the road, killing one (Google Maps).
Cops in Florida arrested a 30-year-old woman after she allegedly hit two boys who were crossing the road while attending a church function, killing one and seriously injuring the other.
Victoria Johnson stands accused of leaving the scene of a crash with death and serious bodily injury, tampering with evidence and driving without a license causing death.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff”s Office responded shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday to calls about a hit-and-run crash in front of Faith Baptist Church on Crystal Beach Road in Winter Haven, a press release said.
Two boys, ages 8 and 10, were on the other side of the road when they were called back to the church. They waited for a truck to pass and went into the road, where they were hit by a northbound SUV that allegedly did not stop. The 8-year-old boy died at the scene while the 10-year-old suffered a broken arm, broken femur and compound skull fracture. He was rushed to the hospital where he was last listed in critical but stable condition.
The next day, Johnson called deputies to report her 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe stolen. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, Johnson said she had lent the SUV to a friend the night before who didn’t return it. But Johnson later admitted to driving around that night and thought she may have hit someone, the affidavit stated.
She then allegedly said she gave the SUV to a friend to get rid of it. A deputy asked where the SUV was located.
“Probably at the bottom of a lake by now,” she responded, per cops.
As the deputy probed further, Johnson began to “cry uncontrollably,” cops wrote. Johnson went to a police station for an interview. While she was there, deputies spotted Johnson’s vehicle being driven by a man who pulled into a driveway and went inside a home. He initially refused to come out, but eventually he did, and deputies took him into custody on a charge of resisting arrest without violence.
The vehicle had damage consistent with a pedestrian strike, including missing parts and possible “biological matter,” deputies noted.
Back at the police station, Johnson allegedly admitted to driving the vehicle in the area of the church. She said she had been driving for 20 minutes or longer and it was the first time she had been in the SUV in a while because she lost her license from a prior DUI, according to the affidavit. She allegedly said she may have hit someone but didn’t remember.
Johnson also stated she was a regular methamphetamine user, including on the night in question, cops said.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims. The church posted the following message on its Facebook page:
Our church family is grieving following a tragic hit-and-run accident that occurred after church on March 11, 2026, as two children were attempting to cross the road near the church property after our Wednesday evening programs. One child was fatally injured, and another remains in critical condition. Our hearts are broken for these families, and we ask our community to join us in praying for the child who is still fighting for recovery and for the family mourning an unimaginable loss. Words cannot adequately express the sorrow felt by our congregation as we walk alongside these families during this devastating time.
Out of respect for the families and the seriousness of the situation, we ask that their privacy be honored in the days ahead. The church is cooperating with authorities as they investigate this incident, and we continue to focus on supporting those directly affected through prayer, care, and compassion. We ask the community to keep these families, the first responders, and everyone impacted by this tragedy in your prayers.
Deputies took Johnson to jail. Her next court date is set for April 14.
