A mother was killed and her two children injured in a single-vehicle crash Friday night. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said speed and impairment appear to be factors and it expects to file criminal charges against the driver.
The crash happened just before 8 p.m. on North Ridge Trail, north of I-4 in unincorporated Davenport. The Sheriff’s Office said a 2024 Nissan sedan driven by Tiffany Alexander West, 36, of Orlando left the roadway at a 90-degree corner while traveling at a high rate of speed. The car went over a guardrail, through a fence, and struck a tree.
One of the passengers, Alicia Carmona, 39, of Jacksonville, was ejected and died at the scene. Carmona’s two children — a 15-year-old girl, and a 10-year-old boy — were injured. They were both taken to a hospital and were in stable condition.
West was transported to a hospital with facial fractures. The Sheriff’s Office said a detective observed signs of impairment from West, and a sample of her blood was obtained for testing.
The crash remains under investigation, and criminal charges are expected, according to the Sheriff’s Office. North Ridge Trail was closed for about five hours while detectives worked at the scene.