Winter Haven – An overnight crash caused significant damage at Bowen Yard after a truck slammed into the SoCe Market building early Thursday morning.
Winter Haven Police and Winter Haven Fire responded around 12:30 a.m. to 326 Ave C SW after reports that a vehicle struck the side of the structure at Bowen Yard.
Officers arrived to find 31-year-old Brandon Alan Fipps of Winter Haven climbing out of the sunroof of his crashed truck.
Witnesses reported that Fipps had been driving through downtown on 3rd St SW, spinning his tires and driving erratically. As he turned onto Ave C SW, he allegedly lost control. While attempting to correct a spin, the truck plowed into the Bowen Yard building, damaging the area where SoCe Market operates.
Police noted suspected DUI indicators at the scene and said Fipps refused to cooperate with the investigation. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Once released, he will be booked into the Polk County Jail on the following charges:
Reckless Driving Refusal to Submit to DUI Tests (suspected DUI indicators present) Refusal to Sign a Traffic Citation Violation of Probation (Domestic Battery by Strangulation)
The investigation remains ongoing.
