Authorities in Polk County, Florida have charged a 31-year-old father in connection to a deadly DUI crash that claimed the life of his 5-year-old daughter and permanently scarred his toddler son last November.
Kody Wills was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count each of Dui manslaughter, and DUI causing serious bodily injury and two counts of negligent child abuse.
The crash occurred around 6:26 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2024, after Wills picked up his two children from his father’s home.
Police said Wills drove on Broadway Street near Lake Parker Drive when he “ran a stop sign and crossed the roadway striking a tree.
“As a result of the crash, the vehicle caught on fire and Kody Jo Wills’ five-year-old daughter died,” the affidavit stated.
“Additionally, his three-year-old son received serious bodily injuries in the form of burns to the face.”
Wills, who was also injured in the crash, admitted he had one shot of Maker’s Mark alcohol earlier that afternoon.
Investigators determined Wills was more than three times over the legal limit at the time of the crash.
“Nothing will bring this beautiful child back to her family, nor heal the injuries to her brother or the emotional devastation that Kody Wills has caused to so many people,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
