Lakeland security guard runs from crash, tries hiding in swamp
POLK COUNTY, Fla. January 11th, 2024— A security guard at a bar in North Lakeland was arrested Sunday after deputies say he wrecked his car while driving drunk, then tried and failed to hide from responding deputies.
A witness told Polk County deputies that 20-year-old Josh Allen was even wearing a shirt that said “SECURITY” on it when he left work early Sunday morning.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to the area of Kathleen Road and Raulerson Road in Lakeland just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday for reports of a single-vehicle crash.
Deputies arrived to find a wrecked 2016 Kia sedan that was registered to Allen, but the driver was nowhere to be found.
However, according to the sheriff’s office, the responding deputies had no problem tracking Allen due to his size.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing approximately 370 pounds, deputies say Allen “made a lot of noise” as he tried to escape by walking through a swampy, wooded area near the crash scene.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies also noted that they were able to see the light from Allen’s cellular phone as he used it to light his way through the woods and attempted to call a friend.
When they finally found him, deputies say Allen was almost completely submerged in the water with only his stomach and mouth visible.
Deputies noted that Allen showed obvious signs of impairment with dilated, watery, blood-shot eyes and the odor of alcohol on his breath.
Deputies arrested Allen, charging him with leaving the scene of a crash, driving under the influence, and resisting arrest.
