ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A woman is now in custody Tuesday after allegedly leading Florida Highway Patrol troopers on a chase and driving into oncoming traffic on a highway in St. Petersburg.
According to the arrest report, an FHP trooper responded to a call at about 12:41 a.m. about a wrong-way driver in a Toyota Corolla heading toward oncoming traffic on Interstate 275. FHP identified the driver as 27-year-old Cynthia Serrano Roncal. Once the trooper laid eyes on the vehicle, he said he made a U-turn and started to follow the car. He turned on his emergency lights to alert Serrano, but she didn't stop and continued down the road, FHP said.
That’s when the trooper performed a pit maneuver on the car, causing it to steer off the road. Officials said the maneuver didn’t stop Serrano from getting back onto the road and again into oncoming traffic. The trooper executed another pit maneuver — this time, he successfully stopped the car and detained her.
Dash camera video released by FHP shows the moment the trooper spotted Serrano and portions of the chase, including the pit maneuvers.
Another trooper arrived on the scene and translated everything she said to the other trooper, as she seemingly only spoke Spanish, FHP said. The translating trooper noticed Serrano had “bloodshot watery eyes,” slurred speech and breath that smelled like alcohol.
The trooper took her to a “flat, well-lit, and safe area” to give her a field sobriety test, which she agreed to. Serrano then failed to perform the exercises correctly, according to the trooper, and she was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).
She also failed a breathalyzer test with results more than twice the legal limit, the report said. Serrano was then transported to Pinellas County Jail, where she will possibly face additional charges including fleeing to elude.