A New Port Richey woman was arrested for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after she crashed her car into a Pinellas County sheriff's cruiser early Friday morning, officials said.
Kimberly L. Kuhlow, 44, was arrested later by members of the Pinellas sheriff's office's DUI unit and charged with one count of driving under the influence and one count of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office statement said.
The incident occurred about 12:30 a.m. Friday on U.S. 19 North Frontage Road just south of 150th Avenue North in Clearwater.
Pinellas sheriff's Deputy Tiffany Ashcom was on duty on the scene of a disabled vehicle when the incident occurred, the statement said. The deputy was seated in a marked 2011 Crown Victoria with the emergency lights activated, waiting for a tow truck to arrive, when a northbound 2015 Hyundai Elantra collided with the driver's side of the patrol car.
The Hyundai did not stop and left the scene.
Deputy Aschcom was uninjured, but the patrol car was disabled due to the damage to the front driver's side.
The driver of the tow truck witnessed the accident and followed the Hyundai until other deputies located the fleeing Hyundai and made a traffic stop.
Deputies detected signs of impairment and arrested Kuhlow, the statement said.
Kuhlow was taken to the Pinellas County Jail for booking without incident.
