Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a three vehicle crash at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2020. The crash occurred on West Hillsborough Avenue and Race Track Road.
During the course of the investigation, HCSO arrested 59 year-old Linda Norris after causing a three-vehicle pile-up. Norris is the current Vice Mayor & Council Member, Seat 1 in the city of Oldmar.
A witness called 911 after seeing a red Tesla traveling erratically and then rear-ending another vehicle.
Deputies asked Norris to step out of the vehicle and immediately noticed she was slurring her words and her movements appeared unstable. Inside her vehicle, deputies found an open container of Fireball in the center console and two additional, but closed bottles in her purse.
Norris was unable to pass field sobriety tests and refused to give a breath sample. Norris faces two charges, Driving Under the Influence Third Conviction and Refusal to Submit to Testing. She was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail.
According to deputies, no injuries occurred as a result of the crash.
“It’s infuriating to know some drivers have no respect for the law or the lives around them,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Furthermore, Linda Norris is a public official, and should behave accordingly. Instead, she serves as an example of our commitment to identifying and catching those who break the law, no matter who they are.”
