A 27-year-old Florida man is facing multiple charges after police say he crashed his vehicle near Lakeland, then fled into a swamp while carrying two young children.
The incident happened early Sept. 9 on Highway 33 near North Combee Road. According to Lakeland police, the vehicle went through a road-closure sign and sandbags before entering a construction area, where it overturned and came to rest against exposed tree roots.
When officers arrived, they did not find the driver. They did, however, discover two child safety seats inside the damaged vehicle, raising immediate concerns that children could have been involved in the crash.
Police launched a search of the surrounding area, including a dark, wooded and swampy section near the crash site. A department drone was used to search from above, helping officers locate the missing driver and the children in terrain that was difficult to navigate on foot.
About 30 minutes later, officers spotted Isaac Kinsey carrying a 2-year-old child and a 10-month-old baby, police said. Video released in connection with the case shows Kinsey struggling through the wet terrain and falling while holding the children. Police said the children were submerged in the water during the falls.
Officers eventually reached the group and took the children to safety. Kinsey was also taken into custody.
According to police, Kinsey displayed signs of impairment and acknowledged that he had been drinking. Authorities also said his driver’s license was suspended. The arrest record lists multiple DUI-related offenses, along with two counts of child neglect involving great bodily harm and a charge related to leaving the crash scene.
The children and Kinsey were taken to a hospital for treatment following the rescue. The children survived the incident. Police have not publicly detailed Kinsey’s relationship to the two children.
The case has also highlighted how quickly the search shifted after officers discovered the empty child seats. Rather than treating the crash as a routine abandoned-vehicle investigation, officers had to determine whether children were missing and search the surrounding area in darkness.
Kinsey remains in custody in Polk County in connection with the case. Arrest records indicate that he was booked Sept. 9 and remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police credited the use of drone technology and the coordinated response of officers with helping locate the children before the situation became even more serious.
The investigation remains ongoing.
