Driver sentenced to prison after drunken head-on crash with trooper during Skyway 10k

A Sarasota woman who hit a Florida trooper’s vehicle during a 10K race on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is set to spend the next 10 years in prison.

Kristen Watts, 54, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement at a sentencing hearing Tuesday, more than two years after the Florida Highway Patrol says she bypassed an Interstate 275 closure and barreled toward pedestrians before a trooper used their vehicle to block her path.

A judge sentenced Watts to 10 years with credit for time served, in addition to four years probation.

The maximum sentence Watts could have received is 15 years, a judge said.

Watts was scheduled to go to trial on April 29, court records show.

But talk of Watts entering a plea instead of going to trial has persisted for months.

Drunk driver sentenced after Skyway 10K crash

Watts was expected to plead guilty to charges of driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement at a hearing on Oct. 25, 2023, before the judge said he preferred to handle the plea and sentencing in one hearing, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.

Watts and the State Attorney’s Office were unable to reach a plea deal. While informal plea negotiations took place between the state and the defense, “no concrete plea was ever made by the state” according to prosecutors.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Watts opted to enter an open plea, leaving her sentence up to the judge without any sentencing reassurances or recommendations from the prosecution.

In March 2022, troopers arrested Watts on Interstate 275 after she blew through a barricade and failed to stop for law enforcement, crashing head-on into a highway trooper’s SUV.

Trooper was last line of defense

Dashcam footage released by FHP showed Watts’ silver BMW 335i sedan speeding north on I-275 and avoiding one cruiser attempting to block her passage before she crashed head-on into Trooper Toni Schuck’s Chevrolet Tahoe.

Schuck was the last line of defense between her and thousands of pedestrians, troopers said.

The bridge was shut down to traffic for the Skyway 10K, an annual race that raises money for charity. There were 8,000 runners participating that year, organizers of the charity said.

Schuck spoke at Tuesday’s hearing, recalling how she felt that day after heating over the radio that there was a vehicle pulling away at a speed of possibly more than 100 miles per hour.

“At that point I got nervous. I got a knot in my stomach because I don’t know what’s going on. We’ve never had this before,” Schuck said.

Several officers tried to stop Watts as she sped closer to the runners on the bridge before Schuck positioned her patrol SUV between the rogue driver and the pedestrians on the Skyway, according to FHP.

“I was the last officer. I knew it was me. If it wasn’t me to get her to stop, then who?” Schuck said at a 2022 news conference.

Head-on crash saved lives

At the hearing, Schuck spoke about how she came to the split-second decision that saved lives.

“In my mind, we’re given tools to do our job. And in my mind, my tool was my truck and I was going to obstruct that vehicle,” Schuck said. “I was going to do whatever I could do to get this driver to stop.”

“Did the vehicle stop?” prosecutors asked her in court.

“Yes, after she hit me,” Schuck said.

Schuck, a Tampa resident, was lauded as a hero and earned public thanks from her agency, fellow law enforcement officers and countless community members who expressed their appreciation online. The incident also made national news, with a spot on NBC’s “Today Show.”

Among the awards she received, Schuck said she was given the city keys to Bradenton and St. Pete, in addition to being named national officer of the year for 2022.

“Every day since it’s happened I’ve thought about it,” Schuck said at a 2022 news conference. “You go through the what-ifs.”

Both Schuck and Watts were seriously injured in the crash.

Schuck told the court that she suffered a herniated disc and tear in her lower back and has had “numerous doctor visits” and “chiropractic visits” as well as physical therapy since in the two years following the crash. Schuck said she still has physical pain as a result of the impact.

“It was a very intense crash. Not only is it the impact and the speed, but you have airbags going off,” Schuck said.

She described the crash as “a significant hit” that left her “rattled, dazed” and “disoriented.”

Schuck said she estimated Watts’ car may have been traveling as much as 50 to 60 miles per hour at the time of the crash.

After the collision, Watts got out of the vehicle and started to stumble around on an injured ankle before trying to re-enter her BMW, FHP said. Watts also yelled at troopers to get away from her and attempted to swing at them before troopers forcibly subdued and tied her down, according to an arrest report.

Watts’ blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit at the time of the crash, FHP said.

A judge determined Watts incompetent to stand trial in June 2022, with her attorney saying that Watts suffered from a severe depressive episode and anxiety in the months prior to the accident, according to court documents.

The accident, Watts’ lawyer said, came “in the midst” of a “mental health collapse,” with her experiencing “paranoia, hallucinations and delusions.”

“The morning of that event she did not know anybody was on that bridge,” Bruce Denson, Watts’ defense attorney said. “She was totally disconnected from reality and in a fight-or-flight state.”

Kristen Watts’ mother, Julie, said there were signs her daughter was not doing well mentally in the lead up to the crash. She said she received many calls from her daughter “that made no sense.”

But Watts later underwent treatment and was found competent to proceed with the trial.

In anticipation of Watts’ plea, Denson filed a memorandum on March 26 asking the judge to take into account Watts’ lack of a criminal record, her mental health struggles and her subsequent treatment and road to sobriety during sentencing.

Denson asked the judge to sentence Watts to eight months in jail with time served and probation.

‘Heroic actions’ and ‘full responsibility’

Watts read a letter to Schuck during the hearing.

“I want to offer my heartfelt apology,” Watts said.

Watts said she “cannot imagine the bravery” of Schuck in that moment, which she said must have been horrifying, and credited the trooper for saving not only members of the public, but her own life as well.

“I am deeply grateful for your heroic actions,” Watts said.

Watts also said in the letter that she regretted her actions that day.

“I am horrified at the measures I took that day. I never sought out to harm anyone,” Watts said. “I accept full responsibility and am working hard to make certain I never behave that way again.”

Schuck said one of the things she hopes to see out of this is Watts’ recovery and rehabilitation.

“She’s got to get right with her heart and right with herself. Whatever it takes to be a better person and a better citizen,” Schuck said.

But regardless of Watts’ rehabilitation, Schuck said that day in March 2022 is one she’ll never forget and she tearfully recalled it in court.

“Knowing what just happened and knowing these people on the bridge had no idea of the carnage she created,” Schuck said.

Circuit Court Judge Teresa Dees presided over Watts’ sentencing hearing at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton. She is the third judge to oversee Watts’ criminal proceedings.