Tampa woman accused of DUI after driving 105 mph, crashing Mercedes SUV: FHP

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa woman is facing DUI and other charges after Florida Highway Patrol troopers said she was driving more than 100 mph before crashing her Mercedes SUV near Interstate 4 in Tampa early Sunday.

Tampa DUI crash arrest

What we know:

Charisma McGowan, 31, was arrested after the crash near the I-4 eastbound exit ramp and East Columbus Drive, according to an FHP arrest affidavit.

An FHP supervisor said he was stopped at a red light around 2 a.m. when he saw an SUV speeding east on the I-4 exit ramp. The trooper estimated the vehicle was going more than 100 mph and recorded a speed of 105 mph on radar, the affidavit says.

The posted speed limit on the main lanes of I-4 in that area was 55 mph, according to the report.

High-speed crash near I-4 

The backstory:

The trooper said the SUV ran a red light at the intersection and appeared to try to make a right turn. The vehicle overshot the turn, hit a concrete median and crossed the westbound lanes of East Columbus Drive, according to the affidavit.

The SUV then hit a traffic island and a streetlight pole before stopping against a curb. 

The trooper approached the vehicle and found McGowan and a passenger inside.

According to the affidavit, McGowan repeatedly tried to reverse the disabled vehicle. The trooper directed her to get out and stop trying to drive. The report says she later re-entered the vehicle and tried to drive again.

When the trooper tried to handcuff her, McGowan pulled away and resisted, according to FHP. Another trooper later arrived and helped in securing her.

DUI investigation and charges

Dig deeper:

A second trooper conducted a DUI investigation.

The affidavit says that McGowan had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech and difficulty completing several field sobriety exercises.

McGowan told the trooper she drank a shot of liquor and smoked about half a gram of medical marijuana around 9 p.m. the previous night, according to the report.

McGowan agreed to take a breath test, which returned results of 0.145 and 0.145, above Florida's legal limit of 0.08, the affidavit says.

McGowan was arrested and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. She faces charges including DUI with property damage, reckless driving and resisting an officer without violence, according to the arrest documents.

Passenger status

What we don't know:

Troopers did not say whether the passenger in the vehicle was hurt during the crash or faces any charges.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from arrest affidavits provided by the Florida Highway Patrol.