DUI Charges For Man Accused Of Hitting, Dragging Deputy

TAMPA, FL — A Tampa man faces a number of criminal charges following the conclusion of an investigation into an December crash that left a Hillsborough County motorcycle deputy seriously injured.

According to the sheriff’s office, Kenneth R. Cooper III, 26, has been charged with DUI with serious bodily injury, 12 counts of DUI with injury and property damage and two counts of violation of probation. His Tuesday arrest was announced Wednesday morning.

The crash in question occurred on Dec. 22, 2015, along Gibsonton Drive. Cooper is accused of hitting Deputy Timothy Berg and then striking six other vehicles while dragging Berg 150 feet.

See Also:

• Deputy Stable After Gibsonton Drive Crash

“Cooper’s blood was drawn at the scene, with results indicating that he was under the influence of a chemical substance that affected him to the extent that his normal faculties were impaired,” a Wednesday morning email from the sheriff’s office said.

Cooper, who lives in the Forest Hills area, was being held without bond in the Hillsborough County Jail Wednesday, according to jail records.

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office