Florida woman with 3X BAC limit drank ‘a lot of vodka’ before crashing car in front of troopers: FHP
Trooper watches DUI driver crash into guardrail
A Florida woman was arrested for DUI early Wednesday morning after crashing into a guardrail directly in front of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and registering a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
FORT MYERS, Fla. - A Florida woman was arrested for driving under the influence early Wednesday morning after crashing into a metal guardrail directly in front of a state trooper at an intersection in Fort Myers.
DUI crash arrest
What we know:
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a state trooper was stopped behind a Chevrolet sedan at 1:24 a.m. in the eastbound left-turn lane of State Road 82 at Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers, waiting for a green arrow. When the signal changed, troopers said the driver hesitated before accelerating toward oncoming traffic, suddenly turning 90 degrees left and hitting a metal guardrail.
Troopers identified the driver as Kathy Ann Gilliam, 59, of Fort Myers, noting she showed clear signs of intoxication.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff's Office
According to FHP, Gilliam told investigators she consumed "a lot of vodka" and subsequently lost her balance and fell while attempting a walk-and-turn field sobriety exercise.
High blood alcohol concentration
By the numbers:
Troopers said breath samples provided by Gilliam registered a .225 blood alcohol concentration. That reading is nearly three times higher than the legal driving limit of .08 in Florida.
Driver booked into jail
What's next:
Troopers arrested Gilliam on a charge of driving under the influence. Authorities transported and booked her into the Lee County Jail.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Florida Highway Patrol, which detailed the arrest in a release, as well as Lee County Jail records.