HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A Kissimmee man was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol in Hillsborough County early Thursday, accused of drunken driving in a wrong-way crash that left two others with serious injuries.
The crash occurred around 1:45 a.m. on northbound State Road 589, south of State Road 568 (Dale Mabry Extension), troopers said.
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According to a preliminary FHP crash report, the Kissimmee man — identified as Ramon Rivera, 45 — was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of SR-589 when the Infiniti Q50 he was driving struck a northbound Acura TL nearly head-on.
The Acura’s driver and passenger — identified as a 21-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, both of Trinity — suffered serious injuries in the crash and were taken to an area hospital, troopers said.
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Ramon suffered minor injuries and was also taken to a hospital, according to FHP. He was arrested several hours later by a trooper who reportedly observed that he had “bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of a consumed alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath,” an affidavit states, adding Ramon refused to speak to the trooper after being read his Miranda rights.
Ramon will face charges of driving under the influence (DUI), DUI with property damage or personal injury and DUI with serious bodily injury, according to FHP.
Note: This map depicts the general area of this crash and not necessarily its exact location.
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