On August 25, just before 1 a.m., Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s deputies spotted a suspected DUI driver travelling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Florida’s Highway 580 in Oldsmar, Tampa.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies made several attempts to get the driver to pull over, without success. Finally, the police managed to stop the vehicle and took the driver, an elderly woman, into custody.
“The elderly female driver almost struck several vehicles including a semi-truck. She failed to yield to deputies when they attempted several times to pull her over,” said Sergeant Amanda Sinni of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
A video shared by the sheriff’s office shows two police cars chasing the vehicle, as an officer can be heard yelling “Pull over!” at the driver.
Eventually, one of the cars can be seen stopping the vehicle, as well as officers rushing out of the car to reach the driver.
DEPUTIES STOP WRONG WAY, DUI DRIVER: This morning just after 1:00AM, deputies spotted a vehicle eastbound in the westbound lanes of SR580 in Oldsmar. After attempts to get the driver to pull over, deputies successfully immobilized the vehicle and took the driver into custody. pic.twitter.com/5CQ9i4tLu4 — Pinellas SO (@SheriffPinellas) August 25, 2022
“Deputies successfully stopped the vehicle using a Precision Immobilization Technique [PIT] maneuver and took the driver into custody,” the sheriff’s office said.
PIT is a technique commonly used by law enforcement to force a fleeing vehicle to turn 180 degrees abruptly, forcing it to stop.
The law-enforcement vehicle bumps the suspect’s car on the side near the rear wheel, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to spin out.
The technique has been developed from the stock-car racing’s bump-and-run method of getting a competitor to swerve away from the racing line. It can be quite unpredictable and dangerous, depending on the speed of the two vehicles involved.
“Thanks to the quick action of our deputies, there were no injuries and several lives were potentially saved,” Sinni said in the video shared by the sheriff’s office.
“The driver admitted to being under the influence and was charged with DUI.”
A DUI is determined when a person driving has a blood or breath alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.
A first conviction for DUI carries up to a one-year probation; a minimum of 50 community service hours; a maximum of six months in jail; a fine of between $500 and $1,000; 10 days of vehicle immobilization; a six- to 12-month driver license suspension; and the possibility of up to six months of an ignition interlock device, according to Florida law.
A second conviction can carry up to nine months in prison; the fines are between $1,000 to $2,000; and an ignition interlock device must be fitted for a year.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has not revealed the woman’s identity.
Newsweek has contacted the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for comment.