The Polk County deputy injured in a deadly hit and run crash early Saturday morning on SR 60 East of Lake Wales will undergo surgery Tuesday at Lakeland Regional health Medical Center.
- Polk County Deputy Adam Pennell will have surgery Tuesday
- He broke his arms, ribs, pelvis after being struck by a hit-and-run driver
- Deputy Pennell had stopped to help a woman who had been in an accident
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said Monday that Adam Pennell had broken arms, ribs and a broken pelvis. Judd said the surgery was set to start in the morning.
“With a great team of orthopedic surgeons and assistants and we are getting him the best medical care possible,” he said.
Deputy Pennell had seen a woman in the median of SR 60 and stopped his patrol car and turned his lights on. An unknown vehicle entered the median and struck Pennell and 33-year-old Jessica Enchautegui-Otero of Tampa. She died at the scene.
The sheriff’s office Monday released audio of Pennell speaking with dispatch about the woman being injured.
Pennell can be heard in the audio asking for EMS to be sent. Later, a medic arriving on the scene tells dispatch that an officer is down and a woman was deceased.
Judd said Pennell was unconscious when medics arrived. He has not been able to really communicate about what happened.
“He is in such significant pain that we can’t even have a conversation with him, a lucid conversation," said Judd. "They have got him on medication for pain.”
Judd said his agency was working with Crime Stoppers to increase the reward in the case from $3,000 to $10,000.
“You get $10,000 cash money and the good feeling knowing you did what was right and this person is locked up now in jail,” said Judd.