Tampa woman accused of DUI, assaulting troopers after 132 mph chase ends in serious rollover crash: FHP

Woman hits 132 mph before serious rollover crash

A Tampa woman is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say she led troopers on a high-speed chase along the Howard Frankland Bridge, causing a rollover crash that seriously injured another driver Tuesday night. Whitney Joseph, 25, is accused of kicking and hitting troopers during her arrest, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The Backstory

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Tampa woman is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say she led troopers on a high-speed chase along the Howard Frankland Bridge, causing a rollover crash that seriously injured another driver Tuesday night. After the crash, Whitney Joseph, 25, is accused of kicking and hitting troopers during her arrest, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The backstory:

Troopers say the incident began as a traffic stop but quickly escalated to an argument with troopers before Joseph allegedly sped away, reaching up to 132 mph in a 55-mph zone. 

The affidavit says Joseph drove recklessly, changing lanes aggressively and dangerously.

During the pursuit, investigators say Joseph tried to pass between vehicles but hit a sedan in the center lane. Joseph's vehicle flipped over multiple times after the collision. The driver of the sedan, identified as Landon Bridges, suffered serious injuries and reportedly became unresponsive after having a seizure. He was taken to a nearby hospital.

Dig deeper:

After the crash, troopers say Joseph became aggressive. According to the report, she is accused of kicking multiple troopers in the chest, hitting one trooper near the neck, and biting another on the arm while being restrained.

Troopers also reported a strong odor of alcohol coming from Joseph, along with a cup believed to be filled with alcohol that spilled inside her vehicle. Investigators say she refused to do field sobriety tests and later declined to give breath samples, according to FHP.

Joseph faces the following charges:

• DUI with serious bodily injury
• Refusal to submit to testing
• Aggravated fleeing to elude law enforcement causing serious injury or death
• Battery on a law enforcement officer (3 counts)

What they're saying:

FHP troopers say it’s a miracle no one was killed in the crash.

"Traveling those speeds, no matter where you are, is extremely dangerous, not just for you, but for the people in and around you," Trooper Kenneth Watson told FOX 13. "What you have to remember is traveling at that speed, if you simply look away, just for a mere couple seconds, you have traveled the length of two football fields, and you've done so blind."

Joseph is accused of going nearly 80 miles an hour over the limit.

Why you should care:

This is an area of the Howard Frankland that’s under construction and the speed limit was reduced in December to 55 miles an hour.

Meanwhile, according to the Florida Department of Transportation, this is also a stretch of highway that sees more than 1,000 crashes a year, nearly 25 percent of which result in injury or death.

"Most frequently, when there are construction crews in and around that area, they actually request additional troopers to come out there. And obviously we're doing that to slow traffic down and try to protect their employees," he said.

What we know:

Troopers say Joseph was taken to a hospital for evaluation before being transported to the Orient Road Jail. Bridges was last reported to be in serious condition.