A 61-year-old Clearwater woman was arrested Feb. 26 after Largo police said she fled the scene of a crash that left another driver injured and was later found to be impaired.
According to a Largo Police Department arrest affidavit, the crash occurred at about 4:53 p.m. at Keene Road and Oak Park Drive in Largo.
Police identified the driver as 61-year-old Karen Lynn Bates, of Clearwater.
Investigators said Bates was driving a gray Nissan Altima when she was involved in a two-vehicle rollover crash that caused injury to another driver. Authorities allege Bates left the scene without providing her name, address, or vehicle registration information and did not render aid.
Officers later located Bates and her vehicle at her place of employment, a Dollar Tree store in Clearwater, a distance from the crash site. The vehicle had damage consistent with the collision, according to the affidavit. Police reported the victim provided a photo of Bates taken at the scene and that an independent witness observed the incident.
During contact with Bates, officers documented signs of impairment, including slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, poor balance, and an odor of alcohol. Authorities reported she showed six out of six indicators on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test and declined additional field sobriety exercises. Breath samples later yielded results of 0.32 and 0.33, according to the affidavit.
Bates was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, a third-degree felony; DUI involving property damage, a misdemeanor; and driving without a valid driver’s license, a misdemeanor.
She was arrested at about 6:02 p.m. and booked into the Pinellas County Jail.