Drunk Bradenton mom found throwing up on I-275 drove nearly 4 times the legal limit with kid in vehicle: FHP

TAMPA, Fla. - A Bradenton mother is accused of being drunk when troopers say she hit a wall on the Howard Frankland Bridge and took off with a toddler in the backseat. 

The backstory:

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a bystander called shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and said that a woman was feeling sick and was throwing up in a Black Chevy Traverse on I-275 between Westshore Blvd. and Lois Avenue. 

When the trooper arrived on scene, he said a first responder from Tampa Fire Rescue told him that this was not a medical call. Instead, according to FHP, the first responder said that Holly Lynn Ross was drunk. 

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The trooper, who spotted a 3-year-old boy in the backseat of Ross’s vehicle, said he smelled alcohol on Ross’s breath and had Ross perform several sobriety exercises, which she performed poorly on. She was subsequently arrested. 

Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

The Department of Children and Families was contacted due to a child being in the vehicle at the time of the incident.

After Ross was placed in a patrol car, the trooper said Tampa Fire Rescue found a purple children’s sports drink bottle in Ross’s vehicle that had alcohol in it. 

Dig deeper:

The trooper said Ross was taken to the Central Breath Testing facility at the Hillsborough County Jail and began having mood swings and started yelling and swearing at a deputy and jail staff.

After 20 minutes, Ross gave two breath samples of .303 and .301, which are nearly four times the legal limit in Florida. 

Troopers said it was later discovered that Ross’s vehicle was a vehicle suspected to be involved in a hit-and-run crash on the Howard Frankland Bridge. 

According to FHP, a witness called in and said that a vehicle with the same tag as Ross’s vehicle was pulling over to the shoulder repeatedly and had struck a wall and came to rest on the right shoulder.

Ross was charged with DUI, child neglect and failing to stay on the scene of a crash.