ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — A Pinellas County woman was arrested for allegedly hitting a pedestrian with her car while under the influence and leaving the scene.
Authorities said around 9 p.m. on March 25, deputies assigned to the Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) arrived on scene and found 56-year-old Paula Poe lying on the curb of Gulf Boulevard with life-threatening injuries. They determined she had been hit by a vehicle, and the suspect vehicle was seen driving south on Gulf Boulevard, leaving debris in the roadway.
Poe was taken to the hospital and remains in critical condition.
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) deputies located the suspect vehicle, a 2019 Cadillac Escalade, in a hotel parking lot in Tierra Verde. PCSO identified the driver as 43-year-old Margaret Barah Gardner.
Authorities said Gardner showed signs of impairment and performed poorly on the field sobriety tests. PCSO charged Gardner with driving under the influence, refusal to submit to testing, and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury.
3 Hillsborough sheriff’s employees arrested in domestic violence cases
Two deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office are on administrative leave without pay, and a cadet has been fired following arrests in separate domestic violence cases over the past three days.
