According to an online news report on iontb.com, an alleged drunk driver cause a severe auto accident when the driver allegedly drove his motor vehicle in the wrong direction along a one-way I-175 eastbound ramp. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) stated that the accident caused a near head-on collision, which would have potentially killed the victim who was struck by the alleged drunk driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that a wrong-way accident happened at around 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, December 13, 2020. The alleged drunk driver, a 28-year-old man from Bradenton, Florida, was heading in a westbound direction along 1-75 eastbound. As the suspect approached the I-275 south exit ramp, a 40-year-old woman from St. Petersburg was heading southbound along the I-275 exit ramp to enter the eastbound lanes of I-175. The two motor vehicles collided. The victim's motor vehicle then struck an inside barrier wall and then overturned.
The 40-year-old St. Petersburg woman was taken to Bayfront Health. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the woman sustained injuries that were considered non-life-threatening.
The suspect attempted to flee the scene of the wrong-way accident. The suspect got out of his motor vehicle and then left the scene of the accident on foot. The suspect was then located at 801 6th Avenue South in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Florida Highway Patrol troopers found the suspect and placed him under arrest. The suspect was transported to the Pinellas County Jail, and the suspect submitted to a breath test. The man's blood alcohol content was measured at 0.136, which is more than double the legal limit of 0.08.
The suspect was then charged with Driving in the Wrong Direction, Reckless Driving, DUI with Injury, and Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Injury.