School Counselor Charged With DUI, Child Abuse: Sheriff

LAKELAND, FL — A 35-year-old school counselor of Lakeland who works at a private school in Polk County is accused of drinking and driving with a child in the car Tuesday night.

Brittney Medina's 2016 Kia Sorrento crashed at about 11 p.m. at the intersection of Clubhouse Road and Live Oak Road. Her car drove off the roadway crashed through a fence in a backyard near the intersection, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Medina told deputies she was on her way home from a graduation party, and had one glass of wine. According to authorities, she said the crash happened because of bad brakes.

Police said her eyes were bloodshot and her speech was slurred. She also failed a sobriety test the deputies gave her.

The child in her was not injured. The Polk County Sheriff's Office will not release the relationship she had with the child due to Marsy's Law.

Medina was arrested on the following charges, according to Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies:

• DUI with property damage
• Child abuse without great bodily harm

"There is no excuse for placing a child in danger," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Thankfully, no one was hurt or killed in this crash. Please, call a friend or family member, or use the numerous resources available - just don't drink and drive."

Her blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.118, officers said. The legal limit for a DUI is 0.08, according to the sheriff's office. She works as an attendance counselor at Lakeland Christian School.