By Matt Wiley

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has wrapped up its final two of three “intensive patrol” weekends, during which it issued hundreds of citations on Tampa Bay’s interstate highways, including I-75 and I-275 through New Tampa, with the most recent “intensive” resulting in the arrest of one intoxicated driver headed the wrong direction.

FHP reports that during the weekends of Nov. 13-16 and Nov. 20-23, the agency brought 15 additional troopers to the area each weekend and cracked down on interstate drivers in Hillsborough County, where more than 11 people have died this year in wrong-way driving accidents. One of the most recent fatalities involved a New Tampa resident, back in August. Almost all of the deaths has been alcohol-related.

The final wave even actually stopped a wrong-way driver, the only one witnessed and caught since the intensive patrols began.

On Nov. 22, at around 4:30 a.m., a FHP trooper was flagged down and told about a about a motorist headed the wrong way up an exit ramp onto Fletcher Ave. from I-75. Shortly thereafter, Teshome Campbell, 21, of Land O’Lakes was pulled over in his silver Honda Civic at the Circle K gas station across from Telecom Park off Fletcher Ave. in Temple Terrace.

The trooper reported that Campbell opened his door and exited his vehicle as the trooper approached, reeking of alcohol. Campbell said that his GPS had advised him to drive the wrong way on I-75. Campbell admitted to drinking and failed several field sobriety tests, including a Breathalyzer test. Campbell was found to have a 0.209 blood alcohol content (BAC), or more than 2.5 times the legal limit of 0.08). He also admitted to having marijuana in his car.

Campbell was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail and charged with driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. He was released on a $1,000 bond on Nov. 23.

“The 15 additional FHP troopers assigned to Tampa for the third Wrong-Way/DUI enforcement wave proved highly successful,” said FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins in a release.

During the two final intensive patrols, FHP made 19 arrests for driving under the influence, as well as 30 drug- or narcotics-related arrests, 48 misdemeanor arrests and eight felony arrests. In addition, FHP issued more than 344 speeding citations and more than 417 other traffic citations.

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