MANATEE COUNTY, Fla — Officials said a drunk driver crashed head-on into a Florida Highway Patrol trooper's SUV on northbound Interstate 275 which had been closed for a 10k run.
The crash happened around 9 a.m. Sunday by the toll plaza on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
According to deputies, Kristen Kay Watts, 52, of Sarasota, was driving northbound on I-275 near the road closure for the Armed Forces Skyway 10K Race. Watts didn't stop or detour and instead drove through traffic cones and around other barricades. Officers attempted a traffic stop but Watts continued through the Toll Plaza.
Watts then collided "nearly" head-on with one of the Troopers responding.
The collision caused serious injuries to both drivers and both were transported to the hospital. The northbound lanes of SR-93 were closed for several hours during the investigation.
