Girlfriend Run Over, Polk Man Charged With DUI Manslaughter

BABSON PARK -- A Fort Meade man is facing charges that include DUI manslaughter, after Polk sheriff's deputies say he struck and killed his girlfriend.

Late Saturday night, deputies responded to Scenic Highway and found 40-year-old Deborah Hershberger of Fort Meade dead. They arrested 40-year-old Charles Polen, saying he hit her and left the scene. A 911 caller later reported swerving to miss the body.

Deputies say Polen walked up to the scene and had to be restrained. They say he told them he and Hershberger had been drinking at a nearby bar and grill, when she walked off. Deputies say they found Hershberger's '02 Dodge Neon with blood and front end damage.

They say Polen told them he started driving to look for Hershberger after she left the bar, and that his car struck something. He turned around and saw a person lying in the road, but instead of checking on her, he drove back to the bar and waited for law enforcement.

Polen's charges include Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Death and DUI Manslaughter, both felonies, and Driving with No License, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Photo Credit: Polk Sheriff's Office


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