Woman Charged with DUI After Crashing into Pinellas Deputy’s Cruiser.
The crash occurred early Friday, February 3, 2017, at approximately 12:30 AM on northbound Frontage Road just south of 150th Avenue in Unincorporated Clearwater.
Pinellas Deputy Tiffany Ashcom was on patrol when she observed a disabled vehicle in the northbound curb lane of US 19 N Frontage Rd, just south of 150th Ave N.
Deputy Ashcom activated her emergency overhead lights on her marked 2011 Crown Victoria patrol car. She stopped her cruiser behind the disabled vehicle and blocked the vehicle from on-coming traffic.
According to the press release, while Deputy Ashcom was seated in her cruiser and waiting for a tow truck to respond, a black 2015 Hyundai Elantra, traveling northbound US 19 N Frontage Road, struck the driver side of her cruiser.
The driver of the Hyundai did not stop and continued northbound on US 19 N Frontage Road leaving behind parts of the car.
Deputy Ashcom was not injured, but her cruiser sustained disabling damage to the front driver side.
Deputy Ashcom advised over the radio that her cruiser was struck. At the same time, a tow truck from Yoho’s Towing arrived on scene, witnessed the crash and followed the Hyundai until responding deputies could conduct a traffic stop.
Deputies made contact with the driver of the Hyundai on 49th Street near the Bayside Bridge. The sole occupant of the Hyundai was 44 year old Kimberly Kuhlow of New Port Richey.
Deputies report they detected signs of impairment and arrested Kuhlow for one count of driving under the influence and one count of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
According to deputies, she failed to satisfactorily complete Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and was swaying with bloodshot and glassy eyes.
Kuhlow refused to submit to additional testing and the deputy informed her of Florida’s “implied consent” law. According to the arrest affidavit, her response was, “Fu-k you and your driving privilege.”
Florida law requires a person to take a breath, blood, or urine test if you are arrested for a DUI. This “implied consent” law says that if you are lawfully arrested by an officer who has probable cause to believe that you have been driving under the influence, then you consent to taking a chemical test of your blood, breath or urine for the purpose of determining your blood alcohol content (BAC) or for drugs. Refusal to submit to this testing will result in an automatic 1 year license suspension for the 1st offense.
Kuhlow was previously arrested in February 2005 for DUI which resulted in a conviction in mid 2006. She was transported to the Pinellas County Jail without incident and being held on $1,755.00 bail.
The investigation continues.