Expand / Collapse search
☰

Suspected drunk driver with child in car kills retired Polk County deputy: PCSO

By and
Published  March 18, 2025 12:30pm EDT
Polk County
FOX 13 News

Retired Polk deputy killed by alleged DUI driver

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports on a man who remains in jail after allegedly hitting and killing a retired Polk County deputy on Monday night.

The Brief

    • A retired Polk County deputy was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver on Monday night.
    • Investigators say Aaron Wells was driving drunk and had an 11-year-old child in the car when he hit the retired deputy, who had gotten out of his car to remove debris from the roadway.
    • Wells was charged with DUI manslaughter and negligent child abuse.

BARTOW, Fla. - An accused drunk driver is behind bars after investigators say he hit and killed a retired Polk County deputy on Monday night.

The backstory:

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, 69-year-old Dan Cooley of Bartow, a retired Polk County deputy, had pulled his vehicle over onto the northern edge of Van Fleet Drive and got out of his vehicle to remove a large tote that had fallen from his vehicle and was creating a roadway hazard in the center lane.

Investigators say 50-year-old Aaron Wells of Winter Haven, was driving a 2008 Jaguar S-type westbound in the center lane and hit Cooley before coming to a stop.

READ: Hillsborough County K-9 shot, killed after attacking neighbor's alpaca: HCSO

First responders arrived and performed life-saving measures on Cooley and took him to Bartow Regional Medical Center. He was resuscitated multiple times but ultimately died from his injuries.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd with Sergeant Dan Cooley. Image is courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd with Sergeant Dan Cooley. Image is courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

"He was all in. He loved to talk. He was the guy who had a vision for the future," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "He always had new ideas and better ideas about how things could be done, and he wanted to make sure everybody knew them." 

Dig deeper:

Deputies at the scene said Wells had slurred speech, watery eyes and smelled like alcohol. They added that Wells showed signs of impairment while performing field sobriety tests.

After being arrested, deputies say he tried to manipulate the breath alcohol test by not providing ample breath at the sheriff’s processing center.

READ: Another big winner at Seminole Hard Rock Casino robbed, Tampa police investigating

Aaron Wells mugshot courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Aaron Wells mugshot courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

According to PCSO, the test still measured his breath samples at .092 and .105 (the legal threshold is .08). Deputies said he told them that he drank several beers prior to driving. According to investigators, an 11-year-old girl was also in the car, and was not injured.

Wells was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with DUI manslaughter and negligent child abuse.

What they're saying:

"Sergeant Dan Cooley was a public servant for over 20 years, and had been enjoying retirement for nearly as long, when he was tragically and senselessly struck and killed by an impaired motorist," stated Judd. "The driver clearly has no regard for human life – not only choosing to get behind the wheel drunk, but doing so with a child in the car. Our prayers are with Dan Cooley's family and loved ones."

Sergeant Dan Cooley was hired as a detention deputy in March 1986. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in January 2002, and he retired in June 2007.

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Polk CountyCrime and Public Safety