News and Investigations

An Auburndale man has been arrested by Traffic Homicide detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for failing to report a fatal crash he was involved in near Auburndale last year.

25-year old Dylan Perry Willey of Auburndale was taken into custody on May 21, 2026, and charged with Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Death (F1), for the crash that claimed the life of 20-year-old Zackeriah Zalin Lamon-Kemp of Lake Alfred.

The crash occurred on May 12, 2025, at around 10:13 pm, on Old Lake Alfred Road, close to Keystone Road. 

Lamon-Kemp was struck from behind by Willey’s 2014 Dodge Charger while he was riding a Hover electric bicycle. 

During the preliminary investigation, Willey told detectives that he thought he hit a hog on the road, but continued driving the approximate one mile to his home. He said that when he saw the damage on his vehicle, he notified his mother, then immediately returned to the scene while calling 911 to report the incident.

Upon completion of the investigation, PCSO detectives turned the case over to the State Attorney’s Office in September of 2025 for review. 

“Based on the thorough investigation, documentation, and tenacity by my detectives in the Traffic Homicide Unit, the State Attorney’s Office approved an arrest warrant for Dylan Willey due to his negligence by not reporting the crash and Mr. Lamon-Kemp’s injuries in a timely manner.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.

According to the detective’s complaint affidavit, Dylan Willey, “made an intentional decision not to remain at the scene or render any reasonable assistance and/or summon any help for the victim.  The investigation revealed a 12-minute delay in contacting and reporting the incident to 911.  Post-crash, the suspect also traveled approximately 2 miles and did not return to the scene until consulting with his parents.” 

Based on the evidence, the detective determined that a reasonable person should have known that he hit a human being.