LAKE MAGDALENE, Fla. – Two people were arrested early Monday after Hillsborough County deputies say the pair tried to switch seats during a DUI traffic stop before their vehicle rolled into a deputy’s patrol car.
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Hillsborough County DUI arrest
The backstory:
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened shortly before 4 a.m. near North Dale Mabry Highway and Medical Drive as deputies were conducting a Fourth of July weekend DUI enforcement operation.
HCSO said a deputy made a traffic stop after spotting a Nissan SUV traveling without its headlights on.
Traffic stop crash
Dig deeper:
As the SUV came to a stop, deputies said they saw the driver, Keinier Contreras Villa, 28, and passenger, Antonia Evangelista, 55, switching seats inside the vehicle.
During the exchange, investigators said the Nissan rolled backward and hit the deputy’s patrol vehicle.
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No injuries were reported.
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Following the investigation, deputies arrested Contreras Villa on the following charges:
- Driving under the influence
- No valid driver’s license
- Possession of cocaine
- Resisting an officer without violence
Evangelista was booked on the following charges:
- Driving under the influence (second conviction)
- Refusal to submit to testing
Fourth of July DUI enforcement
By the numbers:
The arrests came during a joint Fourth of July weekend enforcement operation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol and the University of South Florida Police Department.
According to HCSO, deputies made:
- 263 traffic stops
- 235 warnings
- 28 traffic citations
- 37 DUI arrests
- 74 vessel stops
- No boating under the influence arrests
Year-round enforcement patrols
What they’re saying:
The sheriff’s office said it will continue conducting DUI enforcement throughout the year and encourages drivers to plan ahead by using a designated driver or arranging a safe ride home if they plan to drink.
“Every impaired driver we took off the road this weekend was at least one life potentially saved,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “This joint operation with our local law enforcement partners should be a warning that the impaired operation of any vehicle or vessel, on land or water, will not be tolerated in Hillsborough County.”
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