Florida corrections officer arrested for DUI after crash in Polk County

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Published  January 6, 2025 4:23pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Dylan Kennedy, 28, of Winter Haven, on charges of driving under the influence (DUI) and DUI with property damage after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into a subdivision sign Saturday evening.

Deputies responded to an automated crash alert at the entrance of the Bridgeport Lakes subdivision in Mulberry on January 4, 2025. 

Upon arrival, deputies found Kennedy in his vehicle, which had collided with the exit sign for the neighborhood. 

Observing signs of impairment, deputies requested assistance from the PCSO Traffic Unit to conduct a DUI investigation.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Kennedy displayed nearly maximum signs of impairment during field sobriety tests. 

Two on-scene breathalyzer tests measured Kennedy’s blood alcohol content (BAC) at 0.137 and 0.139, both well above the legal limit of 0.08. Kennedy admitted to consuming five shots of alcohol at a party within the subdivision.

Kennedy, a corrections officer at the Hardee Correctional Institution, reportedly expressed concern during the arrest, stating that the incident would cost him his job.

"Dylan Kennedy was arrested for driving under the influence with a significantly high blood alcohol level. This reckless behavior is unacceptable and puts our community at risk. Not only did he choose to drive intoxicated, but he hit a sign, which could just as easily have been a person," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.

Kennedy was charged with DUI, a second-degree misdemeanor, and DUI with property damage, a first-degree misdemeanor. 

Questions regarding his employment status were directed to the Florida Department of Corrections.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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