OLDSMAR, Fla. — Oldsmar Vice Mayor Linda Norris has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence and refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said she drove recklessly and caused a three-car pile-up around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Oldsmar.
According to law enforcement, a witness called 911 after seeing a red Tesla driving erratically on Hillsborough Avenue and rear-ending another car, causing that car to rear-end the one in front of it.
Deputies say they asked the Tesla driver, identified as Norris, 59, to step out of the car.
"They immediately noticed she was slurring her words and her movements appeared unstable. Deputies asked her where she was going and where she came from but said Norris was unable to provide a clear answer," the sheriff's office wrote in a news release.
Authorities say they found an open container of Fireball in her center console, along with two more closed bottles in her purse. According to the sheriff's office, she was unable to pass field sobriety tests and refused to give a breath sample.
"It's infuriating to know some drivers have no respect for the law or the lives around them," Sheriff Chad Chronister wrote in a statement. "Furthermore, Linda Norris is a public official and should behave accordingly. Instead, she serves as an example of our commitment to identifying and catching those who break the law, no matter who they are."
Nobody was hurt in the crash.
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