CLEARWATER, FL – A Pinellas County woman, Hannah M. Ray, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Clearwater and Clearwater Police Officer Scott Yeates, alleging false arrest, violation of her constitutional rights, and intentional infliction of emotional distress following a December 2022 incident that led to her being charged with DUI manslaughter. The charges were later dropped, but Ray claims the ordeal caused significant harm to her reputation and well-being.
The lawsuit, filed on September 5, 2024, in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Pinellas County, stems from a collision shortly after midnight on December 4, 2022, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. According to the complaint, Ray attempted to turn left onto a frontage road near her apartment complex, Arabelle Clearwater Apartments, when she encountered a poorly marked “Road Closed” sign mid-turn. At that time, motorcyclist Jeffrey Conner, traveling eastbound on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard at a high rate of speed, collided with her vehicle. Conner, whose blood alcohol content was reportedly nearly three times the legal limit and who had over 50 arrests and citations, including multiple DUI charges, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Ray alleges that Officer Yeates fabricated signs of impairment to justify her arrest, including claims of bloodshot eyes and mumbled speech. The complaint states that body-worn camera (BWC) footage and photographs contradict those observations. Over four hours of BWC footage reportedly show Ray speaking clearly and performing field sobriety tests without difficulty. Paramedics at the scene, including Jonathan Brown, found no evidence of alcohol use. Subsequent toxicology results confirmed that Ray had no alcohol or drugs in her system.
Despite these findings, Ray’s mugshot and arrest information were shared by the Clearwater Police Department on social media in a post stating she “causes crash that killed a motorcyclist.” The post remained online until June 2023, leading to public backlash and widespread media coverage. The State Attorney’s Office dropped the charges on January 23, 2023, citing a lack of supporting evidence.
Ray’s father, Jonathan Ray, has contacted multiple news outlets to correct what he describes as misinformation. In communications to IONTB and the Tampa Bay Times, he stated that his daughter was profiled by law enforcement based on her appearance. Ray, who comes from a law enforcement family, said no officers he spoke with supported the Clearwater Police Department’s actions in this case. According to Ray, the officers assumed Hannah was under the influence simply because of how she looked and the time of night, and were intent on using her as an example.
“They profiled Hannah due to her appearance and dress. They just knew she was a ‘party girl.’ And they feel that 9 out of 10 people arrested on a weekend evening like that would have been loaded with alcohol and/or drugs. That’s the problem with profiling,” Ray stated. He added, “They were trying to make an example out of someone so that other people would learn from it.”
Ray also said that media reports and police narratives incorrectly described the road conditions on the night of the crash. He stated that Frontage Road—the road Ray was turning onto—was never closed. The signage described in police and news reports as a “Road Closed” notice was, according to Ray, not visible to drivers approaching from the east as his daughter did. He claims it was placed in front of the ramp for U.S. Highway 19 and is only visible to north-south traffic, not to those turning onto Frontage Road. As a result, Ray said, Hannah did not see the sign until she had already made the turn, contradicting statements that she had ignored posted warnings.
Ray further noted Hannah’s history of humanitarian work, including multiple summers spent assisting displaced Yazidi children in Iraq. He said this background, combined with clear evidence of sobriety, underscores the harm caused by inaccurate profiling and the dissemination of false information by police and media outlets.
Jonathan Ray also expressed concern over a public quote by Assistant State Attorney Jordan Meyer, cited in the Tampa Bay Times article as saying, “I can understand why the officers would’ve thought she was impaired, but the actual evidence is to the contrary.” Ray criticized the comment, stating that Meyer was not present at the scene and questioned why a state prosecutor would make a statement that appears to support the officers’ version of events despite bodycam footage and toxicology reports disproving impairment. Ray called the statement “unnecessary and misleading,” and argued it demonstrated a bias in favor of law enforcement without factual support.
The family claims the incident led to immediate termination from her counseling job, suspension of her driver’s license, and seizure of her car and personal belongings. Jonathan Ray said the family has spent thousands of dollars on private investigators, legal representation, and expert witnesses to counter what they describe as fabricated claims by the police.
The lawsuit includes five counts: false arrest against the City of Clearwater, constitutional violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Officer Yeates, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against both Yeates and other unidentified officers responsible for the social media posts. Ray seeks over $50,000 in damages and a trial by jury.
The City of Clearwater and the Clearwater Police Department have not issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit. The case is pending in Pinellas County Circuit Court.