A car crashed into a home in Haines City before bursting into flames and catching the house on fire, according to the city's fire department.
The driver responsible is now facing charges, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
It happened just before 2 a.m. Saturday at a home near the intersection of Kalogridas and Miss Helen roads. Deputies say 19-year-old Raciel Martinez, the driver of a red Chevy Camaro, was speeding eastbound on Johnson Avenue East and passed a marked patrol vehicle going the opposite direction, revving the engine and accelerating more as he did.
The deputy said in the affidavit they turned their car around to follow the Camaro but kept their emergency lights off. From there, the officer said he saw the Camaro turn left onto Kalgridis Road at a rate of speed that made the tires skid and screech.