In the early morning hours of October 14, 2019, at 1:22 a.m., FHP received reports of a wrong-way driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of SR-589 (Veterans Expressway) near the 18 milepost, just south of SR-54.
Trooper Jim Bregon responded to the area and as he traveled northbound on SR-589 came upon the wrong way driver operating a 2016 Nissan Altima. Trooper Bregon activated his emergency lights, turned behind the wrong-way driver, and both stopped along the roadway shoulder near the 8.5 milepost, near Gunn Highway.
Marileydi Gonzalez-Meza, 28, of Pinellas Park, Florida was later arrested by Trooper Bregon for DUI and Driving While License suspended, as well as driving in the wrong direction. Gonzalez-Mesa was delivered to the Hillsborough County Jail where she refused a breath test.