Florida Politician Causes Three Car Crash in Tesla in Hillsborough County, Florida

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL - Autoevolution.com writes that a vice mayor of a town in Pinellas County caused a crash this week when she was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. The woman, identified as a 59-year-old, was operating her Tesla on Hillsborough Avenue when police received reports of a car that was moving erratically.* 

According to reports, by the time police arrived in the area of Hillsborough Avenue and Racetrack Road, the woman had crashed. The Tesla collided with the back of a Toyota pushing that vehicle into a pickup truck. 

When officers spoke to the woman, they noticed her speech was slurred, and she was exhibiting signs of impairment. An open liquor bottle was found in her car. 

Based on a police report, the woman is now facing two charges related to the collision.  The local sheriff expressed frustration at the fact that drivers still get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. The sheriff went on to state that as a public official, the woman should have behaved as an example for the community. Sadly, such was not the case. 

While drunk driving rates have declined over the years, alcohol-impaired motorists continue to plague our roads and kill an average of 30 people in the United States every day. In 2018, drunk motorists caused a shocking 10,511 fatalities. These deaths are entirely preventable tragedies caused by motorists who all should know better. Alcohol begins to impair a person's judgment even before the person reaches the legal limit of .08 percent alcohol per volume. Having a designated driver or using a rideshare can save lives. Additionally, hosts should know not to let guests drive home after drinking. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/florida-vice-mayor-takes-the-party-on-the-road-in-her-tesla-crashes-147402.html

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving