Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
TIERRA VERDE, Fla. - A woman was arrested after a hit-and-run crash left a 56-year-old pedestrian critically injured near the road Wednesday night in St. Pete Beach, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The backstory:
According to investigators, the crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. near Gulf Boulevard and 44th Avenue. Deputies say Paula Poe was found lying along the southbound curb with life-threatening injuries that appeared to be from being hit by a vehicle.
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Deputies say the suspect vehicle was seen traveling southbound on Gulf Boulevard and left debris behind at the scene.
Dig deeper:
Later that day, deputies located the suspected vehicle, a 2019 Cadillac Escalade, in a hotel parking lot in Tierra Verde. The driver was identified as Margaret Gardner, 43, according to PCSO.
Investigators say Gardner showed signs of impairment and performed poorly on field sobriety tests.
Gardner was arrested and faces charges of DUI, refusal to submit to testing and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury. She was taken to the Pinellas County Jail, the sheriff's office said.
PCSO says Poe was taken to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition. Deputies say her next of kin has been notified.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.