Wrong Way Driving Incidents Up by 2 in 1 Night

The Florida Highway Patrol has added two more wrong-way driving incidents to its growing list from the Tampa Bay area.

Both of the latest incidents occurred Tuesday night in Hillsborough County.

The first incident happened around 10:16 p.m. when Cpl. Doug Guy spotted a 1994 Honda four-door heading north in the southbound lanes of Dale Mabry Highway under Interstate 275, an email from Sgt. Steve Gaskins stated.

Guy stopped the driver before an accident could occur.

Steven Glenn Ballard, 45, of Palm Harbor was ultimately charged with DUI and cited for driving in the wrong direction, Gaskins said. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail.

A short time later, around 11:21 p.m., the highway patrol received a call about another wrong-way driver heading south on Interstate 275 in the northbound lanes near Fowler Avenue.

Trooper Nathan Sequeira was able to intercept the 2011 BMW, Gaskins said, but not before it caused a wreck.

Gaskins said that a 2003 Volkswagen was traveling in the inside lane and merged into the center lane, which was occupied by a 2013 Nissan, to avoid a crash with the oncoming car. When the Volkswagen merged, it struck the rear of the Nissan.

Alayna Hernandez, 18, of Lutz, and Maxine Simmons, 33, of Tampa, drivers of the Volswagen and Nissan respectively, were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The BMW’s driver David Paul McGinnis, 35, of Tampa was not impaired, Gaskins said. Instead, “he mistakenly turned onto the wrong ramp and entered the Interstate at Fowler Avenue traveling in the wrong direction.”

McGinnis was cited for driving in the wrong direction.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol

Keep up with what’s happening around town and the state by signing up for your favorite Patch daily newsletter: Bloomingdale-Riverview, Bradenton, Brandon, Carrollwood-Northdale, Clearwater, Dunedin, East Lake, Gulfport, Land O’ Lakes, Largo, Lutz, New Port Richey, New Tampa, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Beaches, Safety Harbor, Sarasota, Seminole Heights, South Tampa-Hyde Park, St. Pete, Tarpon Springs, Temple Terrace, Westchase.