Wrong-Way Driver Stopped on Interstate 4

Check out a video of the incident below.

A Tampa woman faces a number of charges after a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy spotted her driving the wrong way on Interstate 4 Wednesday morning.

According to the sheriff’s office, Laurie Lynn O’Neal, 54, was headed west in the eastbound lanes around 3:05 a.m. A deputy was headed eastbound near Highway 579 when he saw headlights coming at his marked patrol vehicle, an email from the sheriff’s office stated.

The deputy didn’t waste any time trying to get the attention of the motorist, the email said. He flipped on his lights and siren, but ultimately failed to get the woman to stop.

“He took evasive actions to avoid a collision and made a U-turn and began to follow the vehicle, using the siren, horn and PA system in an attempt to gain the driver’s attention,” the email said. “He pulled up next to the vehicle and could see the driver’s window was down. He lowered his passenger side window and yelled for the driver to stop the vehicle and pull over.”

After what amounted to an estimated 1.2-mile chase, the woman who was doing between 50 mph and 60 mph, stopped, the email said.

When the deputy got O’Neal out of her car, he noticed the smell of an alcoholic beverage, the email noted. O’Neal, however, refused to submit to a blood alcohol test. She has several prior DUI arrests, deputies noted.

O’Neal was ultimately charged with felony DUI, driving on a suspended license and for refusal to submit to testing.

Just before the deputy spotted O’Neal’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office said it received a report of a car that had made an illegal U-turn on the interstate to head in the wrong direction.

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office