Accused Drunk Driver Had 3 Times Limit At Deadly Crash: Police

HAINES CITY, FL — A 51-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday in Haines City and faces a manslaughter charged in an April crash that killed a man. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said blood alcohol tests showed the driver had nearly three times the amount of alcohol in her system that is allowed.

Police say Sandra Mayberry was the driver of a single-vehicle crash on April 25, that killed her passenger, Michael Browning, 57, of Haines City.

According to the affidavit, a search warrant was obtained for Mayberry's blood collected at the time of her admission to the hospital in April. The blood was sent to Florida Department of Law Enforcement for analysis. The results came back with an alcohol level of 0.220, which is nearly three times the legal limit.

“With so many options for alternate transportation, especially since the advent of ride-share apps, there is no excuse to get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you’ve been drinking, Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. "Just like in this scenario, the outcome can be fatal. So, please, don’t drink and drive.”

Mayberry was driving a white 2007 Chevy 2500 truck north on U.S. 27 in the outside lane shortly after midnight on April 25, investigators said.

The truck swerved to the right, went off the roadway and overturned several times. Authorities said the truck struck a barbed wire fence and came to a rest in a cow pasture on the east side of the highway.

Mayberry and Browning were taken to a local hospital, and officers say Browning was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says Mayberry is charged with DUI manslaughter.