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Suspected DUI wrong-way driver on I-275 causes more than $250,000 in damage, injures 2: FHP

By and
Updated  January 13, 2025 6:07am EST
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

Video shows wrong-way crash on I-275

The Florida Highway Patrol shared video showing a man driving the wrong way on I-275 in St. Pete on Jan. 5. The driver faces charges, including DUI with injury.

The Brief

    • A wrong-way driver on I-275 caused $250,000 in damage after a crash involving four vehicles, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
    • Two people were injured in the crash.
    • When troopers arrived at the scene, they said that the suspect showed signs of impairment.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - A wrong-way driver caused more than $250,000 in damage and sent one woman to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after driving north in the southbound lanes of I-275, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

What we know: Dashcam footage from a Tesla SUV involved in the crash showed the driver, Rontonio Scott, 49, driving head-on into traffic in St. Petersburg.

Suspected DUI wrong-way driver on I-275 causes over $250,000 in damages: FHP

The video is courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash happened near mile marker 21 – not far from Tropicana Field – on Sunday, Jan. 5, and Scott was arrested on Friday, Jan. 10.

Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

When troopers arrived at the scene, they said that the suspect showed many signs of impairment, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes.

Scott told investigators he had just left a bar where he claimed he had two shots of tequila.

READ: Multi-county fraud investigation ends in arrest: HCSO and SCSO

One person inside the Tesla SUV suffered severe injuries, including fractures to his pelvis, femur and ankle, along with significant damage to his liver. He also had to have surgery to remove his spleen, with doctors saying the crash could have long-lasting impacts on his ability to walk.

A second person inside the Tesla suffered minor injuries.

Charges

  • DUI involving personal injury
  • 3 counts of DUI involving property damage
  • DUI involving serious personal injury

Scott had a previous DUI conviction in 2018.

The Source: Information for this story came from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

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