COPS 2022 – present
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Dan Cooley
Gender : Male
Age : 69
Race : White
Date : 03/17/2025
Location : Van Fleet Drive
City : Bartow
County : Polk
State : Florida
Agency : Polk County Sheriff's Office (Retired)
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Struck by vehicle while removing debris from roadway
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On March 17, 2025, at approximately 8:00 p.m., retired Polk County Sheriff's Sergeant Dan Cooley, 69, pulled over on Van Fleet Drive in Bartow, Florida, to remove a large tote that had fallen from his vehicle and was obstructing the center lane. While attempting to clear the debris, he was struck by a 2008 Jaguar S-type driven by 50-year-old Aaron Wells of Winter Haven. Cooley was transported to Bartow Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Deputies reported that Wells exhibited signs of impairment, including slurred speech, watery eyes, and the smell of alcohol. Field sobriety tests indicated impairment, and breath tests later measured his blood alcohol content at .092 and .105, both above the legal limit of .08. An 11-year-old child was also in Wells' vehicle at the time of the incident but was not injured. Wells was arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter and negligent child abuse.
