Alachua woman arrested for DUI with serious bodily injury

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tabitha Page Ashby, 35, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with DUI with serious bodily injury after an investigation into several crashes on January 7.

At about 7 p.m. on January 7, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers responded to a head-on crash in the 400 block of NW 53rd Avenue; a responding officer reported that the damage to both vehicle was extensive, and both Ashby and the driver of the other car had to be extricated from their vehicles. The driver of the other car was trauma-alerted to a hospital with serious injuries to his legs and hip, and EMS personnel at the scene told an officer that a leg amputation was possible.

An officer noted that Ashby’s vehicle smelled like an alcoholic beverage, and a wine bottle and beer can were reportedly found in her vehicle.

When officers arrived at the hospital, they reportedly found Ashby telling medical personnel that she was “fine” and wanted to leave. An officer noted that her speech was slurred, and a blood test reportedly showed an ethyl alcohol value of 351.0.

An officer spoke to Ashby in the ICU, and she said all she remembered was being at an intersection and then being hit. Post Miranda, she reportedly said she had not drunk any alcohol; she said she had just left a home in Lacrosse and was driving on CR 236 toward High Springs at the time of the crash. However, the crash happened on NW 53rd Avenue, just east of NW 13th Street.

An officer reported that Ashby appeared to be impaired, based on observations of her behavior.

GPD’s investigation found that Ashby had visited the Sunoco at 4207 NW 13th Street before the crash, and she was reportedly unsteady on her feet and knocking items off shelves as she tried to purchase more alcohol; she tried three payment methods but was reportedly unsuccessful, and she left the store, driving eastbound in a white Kia Soul on NW 42nd Avenue at about 5:44 p.m.

At about 6:30 p.m., a crash was reported at NW 13th Street and NW 16th Avenue, with a white Kia Soul rear-ending a pickup truck. The Soul backed up, and the hood released in the raised position before the Soul left the scene, driving northbound on NW 13th Street without checking whether the other driver needed assistance or leaving any information.

At about that time, multiple 911 calls were received about a white vehicle driving recklessly northbound on NW 13th Street with the hood up. A witness reported that the car turned eastbound on NW 53rd Avenue and almost hit three other vehicles before driving into oncoming traffic, yanking the steering wheel several times, and hitting the victim’s vehicle almost head-on.

The victim in the second crash reportedly suffered a broken leg, broken pelvis, and damage to internal organs that required multiple surgeries.

Ashby, whose address is listed in Alachua but reportedly told Court Services that she has only been in Alachua County for eight days, has been charged with driving under the influence with serious bodily injury. She has five misdemeanor convictions (one violent). Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $80,000 and ordered Court Services to fit her with a transdermal alcohol monitor before she is released from jail.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.