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VIDEO: Florida trooper uses patrol car to stop wrong-way, suspected drunken driver

52-year-old woman faces charges of driving under the influence

PALMETTO, Fla. – New video released Monday shows a Florida trooper using their patrol car to stop a wrong-way driver.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 52-year-old woman — identified as Kristen Watts — drove through multiple road closure signs in place for a 10K race Sunday over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a nearby bridge that spans Tampa Bay.

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Troopers said the woman drove through cones and barricades as she traveled along the northbound lanes of Interstate 275.

Two troopers stopped their cruisers in the road, hoping to stop the woman before she neared the area that had been closed for the 10K race.

Video shows one trooper attempt to stop the wrong-way driver before she crashed into the second trooper’s patrol car. The crash resulted in serious injuries to one of the troopers and the woman, officials said.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles tweeted the video and identified the trooper as Toni Schuck.

The 52-year-old woman faces charges of driving under the influence.


About the Author
Brenda Argueta headshot

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.

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