Haines City man charged with DUI manslaughter in teen's death

A Haines City man has been charged with DUI manslaughter in relation to a crash in Lake Wales that killed a 17-year-old.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Ricky Morris Willis, 53.

PCSO received calls at around 6:40 p.m. on July 1 about a three-vehicle crash that occurred on Canal Road just east of Carol Place. Canal Road is a two-lane, east-west roadway with double yellow lines in that area.

The crash involved three vehicles, all heading west: a 2010 gray Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Willis; a 2025 black Zhe Jiang Zuma dirt bike being driven by the Haines City teenager; and a 2013 gray Volkswagen being driven by a 20-year-old Lake Wales woman, PCSO said in a news release.

The Volkswagen was in front of the dirt bike and the truck, respectively, in the westbound lane. The truck then entered the eastbound lane across the double-yellow lines to pass both vehicles, the release said.

While attempting to pass, the truck struck the side of the dirt bike, which was also in the eastbound lane, propelling it into the rear of the Volkswagen. The bike driver was ejected and slid off the roadway, suffering fatal injuries.

The truck continued forward for a short time, and then Willis turned around and returned to the scene to check on the other drivers, the release said. He had two teenagers in his truck at the time.

While at the scene, Willis appeared to be impaired and admitted to having had several beers that day, PCSO reported. Deputies had him perform field sobriety tests, during which he showed signs of impairment.

While being booked in at the Polk County Jail, Willis' breath alcohol level was measured at 0.071 and 0.070, and a sample of his blood has been sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for further testing.

The minimum level for impairment under Florida law is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08.

Willis told deputies that he and the dirt bike rider knew each other and had just left a nearby convenience store. Willis has had a suspended license since 2016 and an outstanding warrant for failure to pay child support.

PCSO did not release the victim's name, citing a new exemption in state law.

Willis was charged with DUI manslaughter, a second-degree felony, along with property damage, driving while license suspended and two counts child neglect.

There were no other passengers in the Volkswagen or on the bike, and the driver of the Volkswagen was not injured.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Haines City man charged with DUI manslaughter in teen's death

Reporting by Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger

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Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 12:02 PM.