Two people are dead following a fatal shooting and vehicle crash on Monday, May 12, 2025, in the Secret Cove neighborhood of Lakeland, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded at approximately 1:30 p.m. to a report of a vehicle crashing into a residence on Pirates Way, just off Reynolds Road. When they arrived, they discovered a white 2019 Mercedes had plowed entirely into a bedroom of the home.
Inside the vehicle, deputies found 19-year-old Davin Boutwell of Mulberry deceased from a gunshot wound. Beneath the car, they discovered the body of 38-year-old Nathaniel Jones of Lakeland, who had been run over and killed.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Boutwell had arrived in the neighborhood to conduct a drug transaction. He was reportedly shot while inside the Mercedes, which then sped off and struck Jones—who had been riding an electric bicycle on Pirates Way—before crashing into the house.
Inside the Mercedes, detectives recovered two bags of marijuana and a large amount of cash. Surveillance footage from the area and witness statements were collected as part of the investigation.
“We suspect that the driver was shot while participating in a drug transaction,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “We know that one person was the trigger man, and we know that others were involved. At this stage in the investigation, it seems that the gentleman who was hit by the car was unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
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