Woman pleads guilty to reckless driving after driving onto St. Pete Beach footpath
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - A Sarasota woman arrested after driving onto a footpath on St. Pete Beach pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge.
Deputies arrested Tiffany Neves on New Year’s Eve in 2024. According to a police report at the time, multiple people saw Neves driving onto the footpath of the beach where she got stuck in the sand. In an arrest report, deputies said Neves "showed signs of impairment" and refused a breath test.
Court records show in April 2025, prosecutors allowed Neves to enter in a "DUI diversion" program, which required her to do community service, complete a "Level I substance abuse and driving" course, and attend a MADD Victim Impact panel.
Prosecutors said she successfully completed the program, leading to a reduced charge of reckless driving.
In May 2025, Neves pleaded guilty to the reckless driving charge and was sentenced to nine months’ probation, 50 hours of community service, and fines and court costs of $648. At the time of her sentencing, the court found that Neves was "not likely again to engage in a criminal course of conduct".
Neves had no prior convictions and has maintained a clean record ever since.