A deputy from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a wrong way driver at approximately 1:18 a.m. on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The elderly driver caught the deputies attention as she traveled eastbound on Tampa Road at St. Petersburg Drive in a gray Honda sedan.
The driver did not yield to the deputies and continued to travel at speeds at approximately 40 to 45 mph. Due to a the possibility of a collision with another vehicle, another deputy attempted to get ahead of her to warn other drivers and possibly stop her.
The authorization was given to a deputy to conduct a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) Maneuver to stop and disable the vehicle. The deputy successfully stopped the vehicle and took the driver into custody at Hillsborough Avenue and Silvermill Drive. She was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail.
She is identified as 78 year-old Virginia Smith of Oldsmar.
She will be transferred to the Pinellas County Jail and face a charge of Driving under the influence. Other charges are possible. According to arrest information, her blood alcohol concentration was .01 and a results of a urine test for additional substances are pending.
VIDEO OF TRAFFIC STOP SHARED BY THE PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
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