Woman arrested after I-4 crash

Charisma McGowan, 31, was arrested early Sunday after a high-speed collision near Interstate 4 in Tampa.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers reported that McGowan was driving a Mercedes SUV at more than 100 mph. The crash occurred near the I-4 eastbound exit ramp and East Columbus Drive. An FHP supervisor was stopped at a red light around 2 a.m. when he observed the vehicle speeding east on the exit ramp. His radar recorded a speed of 105 mph, while the posted speed limit for the main lanes was 55 mph.

The SUV ran a red light at the intersection and attempted a right turn. The vehicle overshot the turn, struck a concrete median, and crossed the westbound lanes of East Columbus Drive. It then hit a traffic island and a streetlight pole before coming to rest against a curb. The trooper found McGowan and one passenger inside the disabled vehicle. The affidavit states that McGowan repeatedly tried to reverse the car. When the trooper directed her to exit the vehicle, she later re-entered and attempted to drive again. She pulled away when an officer tried to handcuff her, prompting a second trooper to arrive and help secure her.

A second trooper conducted a DUI investigation. The report notes that McGowan had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and difficulty completing field sobriety exercises. McGowan told the trooper she consumed a shot of liquor and smoked about half a gram of medical marijuana around 9 p.m. the previous night. She agreed to a breath test, which returned two results of 0.145. Florida's legal limit is 0.08.

McGowan was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. She faces charges including DUI with property damage, reckless driving, and resisting an officer without violence. Troopers have not indicated whether the passenger was injured or faces charges.