Micheal S. Waters convicted felon, Charged with hit and run

Wood, Donna Public Information Officer  Polk County Sheriff's office
Contact Phone: 863.534.6631
PCSO Arrest Habitual Traffic Offender after Hit and Run Crash  At approximately 11:00 am, Saturday, March 6, 2010, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic deputies responded to Cass Road, near Adams Barn Road in Lake Alfred in reference to a Hit and Run Traffic Crash. Through their investigation deputies learned that 28-year-old Michael S. Waters DOB 10/25/81, 10935 Demillie Road, Polk City, driving a Grey 1999 Ford Aerostar Van, was travelling westbound on Cass Road.  At approximately the same time, 42-year-old Norman Patrick Shepherd, DOB 09/27/67, 9th Street NW, Winter Haven, was riding his bicycle westbound on Cass Road near the right shoulder of the roadway. Waters hit Shepherd from behind causing the victim’s head to strike the upper right area of the van’s windshield as the bicycle struck the front right area of the van. Waters drove partially off the roadway and then across Cass Road before coming to a stop on the southeast shoulder of the intersection of Adams Barn Road.  As Waters drove across Cass Road, the victim was thrown from the windshield and onto a grassy portion of the shoulder in the northeast corner of the intersection.  Waters got out of the van and began to run southbound along Adams Barn Road.  A short time later, passersby approached the intersection, saw the victim lying on the ground and called emergency responders.  Another witness had observed Waters’ suspicious behavior and contacted law enforcement.  A Lake Alfred Police Officer, responding to the emergency call regarding the victim, was driving northbound on Adams Barn Road and came in contact with Waters nearly a mile south of the crash scene. There were 11 residences between the location where the Lake Alfred officer found Waters and the crash.  Waters never stopped to notify anyone of the crash.  Shepherd was transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. Waters said he struck a man “up the road.”  Waters also told the officer he had consumed alcohol and meth during the morning prior to the crash. The Lake Alfred officer brought Waters to the crash scene.  In plain view inside the van, deputies located a loaded .22 rifle. There was a 20 oz bottle of beer in the front driver’s side floorboard.  Waters is a convicted felon.  Waters was arrested and charged with Driving on a Suspended License (Habitual Traffic Offender), Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Serious Bodily Injury, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.  Additional charges are pending blood and urine analysis results.  This is an on-going investigation. Polk City man accused in deadly hit and run crash in Lake Alfred   By MICHAEL W. FREEMAN THE REPORTER EDITOR ( page of 2 ) LAKE ALFRED – A Polk City man was arrested over the weekend and charged with striking a bicyclist in Lake Alfred, then continuing to drive with the victim on the front of his van, before stopping and fleeing the scene. The Polk County Sheriff’s office says the suspect in this case, Michael S. Waters, 28, has a lengthy history of motor vehicle offenses prior to this crash. “This was a very shocking incident,” said Donna C. Wood, public information officer for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. “He has a history of chronic traffic violations.” Waters, of 10935 Demillie Road, Polk City, was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license as a habitual traffic offender, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There could be additional charges filed based on pending blood and urine analysis results. The accident happened on Saturday, March 6, in the morning. The sheriff’s office’s Traffic deputies got a call around 11 a.m. to respond to Cass Road, near Adams Barn Road in Lake Alfred, to investigate the hit and run crash. Deputies determined that Waters had been driving a Grey 1999 Ford Aerostar Van westbound on Cass Road. At the same time, a 42-year-old man, Norman Patrick Shepherd of Winter Haven, was riding his bicycle westbound on Cass Road near the right shoulder of the roadway.  Deputies say Waters hit Shepherd from behind, causing the victim’s head to strike the upper right area of the van’s windshield as the bicycle struck the front right area of the van.   Waters then drove partially off the roadway and across Cass Road, before coming to a stop on the southeast shoulder of the intersection of Adams Barn Road. As Waters drove across Cass Road, Shepherd was thrown from the windshield and onto a grassy portion of the shoulder in the intersection.  The Polk County Sheriff’s office says the suspect in this case, Michael S. Waters, 28, has a lengthy history of motor vehicle offenses prior to this crash. “This was a very shocking incident,” said Donna C. Wood, public information officer for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. “He has a history of chronic traffic violations.” Waters, of 10935 Demillie Road, Polk City, was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license as a habitual traffic offender, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There could be additional charges filed based on pending blood and urine analysis results. The accident happened on Saturday, March 6, in the morning. The sheriff’s office’s Traffic deputies got a call around 11 a.m. to respond to Cass Road, near Adams Barn Road in Lake Alfred, to investigate the hit and run crash. Deputies determined that Waters had been driving a Grey 1999 Ford Aerostar Van westbound on Cass Road. At the same time, a 42-year-old man, Norman Patrick Shepherd of Winter Haven, was riding his bicycle westbound on Cass Road near the right shoulder of the roadway. Deputies say Waters hit Shepherd from behind, causing the victim’s head to strike the upper right area of the van’s windshield as the bicycle struck the front right area of the van. Wood said Waters got out of the van, then started running along Adams Barn Road. “This man did nothing to get help for the victim,” she said. “He just ran from the scene.” Witnesses at the scene saw Shepherd lying on the ground and called emergency responders. Shepherd was transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition. Another witness had seen Waters run from the crash scene and called law enforcement. A Lake Alfred police officer, responding to the call, spotted Waters about a mile south of the crash scene. Wood said Waters, who is a convicted felon, ran past 11 homes between the location where the Lake Alfred officer found him and the site of the crash, and never stopped to notify anyone of what had happened, or that a man needed help.“We have no idea at all” why he ran from the scene, Wood said. “When he struck him, the victim went onto the vehicle and as he continued traveling on, he finally fell off.” Waters told the officer he had struck a man “up the road,” and that he had consumed alcohol and meth that morning before the crash. The Lake Alfred officer brought Waters to the crash scene, and inside his van, deputies found a loaded .22 rifle, and a 20 ounce bottle of beer in the front driver’s side floorboard.  “We only hope,” Wood said, “that when people see this tragedy, they will understand the dangers posed by habitual traffic offenders.”