PALMETTO, Fla. — New details have emerged about the accused drunk driver in the crash that severely injured a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who was protecting runners at the nearby Skyway 10K.
Kristen Kay Watts, a 52-year-old Sarasota woman, has been charged with two counts of DUI with damage to property or person, two counts of reckless driving with damage to property or a person and DUI causing serious bodily injury.
On Tuesday, court records show Watts waived a formal arraignment and entered a not guilty plea to all charges that stemmed from the crash that happened on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge during the Skyway 10K running event.
The arrest report has also been released detailing the moments when Watts got out of her car seconds after the crash and "started to stumble around." According to the report, Watts attempted to reenter her car, and law enforcement ended up having to subdue her before giving the woman medical attention.
An FHP sergeant said she smelled an odor of alcohol from Watts' breath when meeting her at the hospital, the report says. Watts was yelling at a state trooper and even attempted to swing at them but missed, investigators said.
The report says Watts had slurred speech, yelled at medical staff attempting to treat her and couldn't inform the trooper of where she was.
Medical staff later told law enforcement that Watts had a medical blood alcohol level of .271 — more than three times the legal drinking limit, the report says.
Later when Watts was released from Bayfront Health, she was placed under arrest and transported to the Manatee County Jail, according to court records. There, the report says she provided another breath sample through a breathalyzer – almost six hours after the crash – and showed a blood-alcohol level of .094. She reportedly tested again minutes later and it showed .090.
That Sunday, authorities accused Watts of driving through traffic cones and around barricades set up to keep drivers off northbound Interstate 275 for the fifth annual Skyway 10K event. Around 8:45 a.m., She made her way through the closed toll plaza on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, according to the Florida Highway Patrol in an earlier report.
Seeing the approaching car, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins radioed two troopers and others to have them intercept it and protect the thousands of runners on the bridge. Two of the troopers stopped in the roadway, using their cruisers as physical barriers to keep Watts from potentially plowing into participants, FHP said.
Investigators say Watts' 2011 BMW 335i ultimately crashed almost head-on with the SUV driven by one of the two troopers. The BMW reportedly caught fire briefly.
Toni Schuck, the injured trooper in the crash, has been with FHP for 26 years. She's now home recovering with a concussion and head wound that required stitches. The injuries are expected to cause permanent scarring to her head and face.
"On behalf of the Skyway 10K, we are beyond thankful for our law enforcement partners and the trooper who risked her life to keep our race participants safe," event organizer James Judge said in a statement earlier this week. "We are extremely grateful for the Florida Highway Patrol and all of our federal, state and local law enforcement partner agencies, not only for providing layers of security for this event, but the sacrifices they make every day."
Anyone wishing to contact Schuck may send their thoughts to her attention at the Florida Highway Patrol,11305 North McKinley Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 or visit the FLHSMV and FHP social media pages.