In Hillsborough County, Florida, an off-duty officer was arrested and is facing DUI charges after allegedly driving the wrong-way on I-75, hitting a semi, and then fleeing the scene.
According to Tampa Bay Times, the crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning on I-75 near the Hillsborough/Manatee line. Police received calls that an SUV was seen driving south in the northbound lanes. Soon after, they had another call reporting that the SUV had collided with a semi truck.
When officers arrived at the scene of the incident, they found the truck driver uninjured. The truck driver offered a description of the SUV and police soon located it further south on I-75 on the shoulder near Mile Marker 232.
The SUV had sustained significant damage from hitting the semi truck.
Upon, inspection of the vehicle, officers noticed it was empty. The Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office used a helicopter and a search team to track down the deputy.
29-year-old Justin Garret of St. Petersburg, was found hiding in a ditch along the roadside.
Troopers reported that Garrett’s breath smelled of alcohol and he refused a blood alcohol test.
Garret was arrested and charged with a DUI resulting in property damage and fleeing the scene of a crash.
Garrett had joined the Sheriff’s Office in October of 2011. He has been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation.
He was being held in jail with a bail set at $750.