TAMPA, Fla. — A DUI driver that struck a car stopped on the shoulder of the Gandy Bridge, killing a teen and injuring others, was the cause for Thursday morning's eastbound closure, according to police.
The Tampa Police Department says the 20-year-old driver of an Infiniti ran out of gas around 4:15 a.m. as he drove eastbound across the Gandy Bridge. To get off the roadway he pulled the car into the left shoulder before stepping out, officers added.
While outside the car police say the man told them he saw what appeared to be a drunk driver heading toward them while swerving in the roadway.
Police say he attempted to warn the other passengers with him but the car, a blue Honda, crashed into them, killing a 15-year-old girl who was standing outside the car during impact.
According to a press release, the rear driver-side passenger in the Infiniti was injured after his leg was pinned between the guardrail and car, after the crash. A second teen in the back seat of the Infiniti suffered minor injuries, police say.
Officers who arrived on the scene immediately rendered emergency first aid and shut down the eastbound lanes for approximately five hours to investigate.
Investigators say, the driver of the blue Honda, 28-year-old Sebastian Gutierrez stayed on the scene and was "demonstrating signs of apparent impairment."
The Tampa Police Department arrested Gutierrez on a charge of DUI manslaughter and transported him to the Hillsborough County Jail.
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