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WATCH: Wrong-way driver arrested on I-4
A 37-year-old Lakeland man later identified as Craig R. Hilgenberg, was arrested early on Sunday morning after driving the wrong way on I-4. Hilgenberg was driving under the influence, according to troopers.
LAKELAND, Fla. - A 37-year-old Lakeland man was arrested early on Sunday morning after driving the wrong way on I-4, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A trooper responded to the area of I-4 at County Line Road around 1:30 a.m. According to officials, while the trooper was responding to the scene, they were notified by Tampa dispatch (TBRCC) that the suspect vehicle, a red Honda Accord, was continuing to drive east in the westbound lanes.
FHP says as the trooper approached exit 32 (US-98), the Honda was seen driving east on the inside shoulder of I-4 in the westbound lanes. The trooper's emergency lights and siren were activated on the marked FHP patrol vehicle, according to authorities.
The Honda passed by the trooper that was in the center lane of I-4 headed east. The trooper tried to catch up to the car that was on the inside shoulder by making a U-turn, according to officials.
READ: Hit-and-run driver crashes into ambulance transporting stroke patient on I-4: FHP
Officials say the trooper continued to follow the Honda and tried to get it to pull over while the patrol car's lights and sirens were still on. Westbound traffic passed the wrong way driver and the patrol vehicle as the Honda continued in the wrong direction, according to troopers.
The trooper performed a P.I.T. maneuver to try to end the pursuit safely, according to authorities. But, the driver later identified as Craig R. Hilgenberg, kept going, so a second P.I.T. was needed before the car stopped on the inside shoulder of I-4 in the median.
Hilgenberg, was arrested around 1:46 p.m, and he was identified as the register owner of the Honda Accord, according to officials.
Hilgenberg smelled like alcohol and had slurred speech during the time of the arrest, according to the arrest report.
FHP says Hilgenberg was taken to the Polk County Jail and threw up in the parking lot. The vomit smelled like alcohol, according to authorities.
Officials say he refused to perform field sobriety exercises and refused to provide a breath sample.
Craig Hilgenberg was charged with one count of fleeing with disregard of safety to persons or property and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
He was turned over to Polk County Detention Deputies, according to officials.