Nurse charged with DUI after hitting construction vehicles, injuring two workers, in September 2024

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Beth Ann Godwin, 57, was arrested on June 6 and charged with two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury to another and two counts of DUI with property damage; she allegedly hit two construction vehicles in September 2024 while impaired.

On September 15, 2024, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper responded to a crash in a construction zone on NW 23rd Avenue; the trooper reported that a black Hyundai had crashed into a construction pickup truck and a dump truck, both of which were damaged. He wrote that the driver of the Hyundai was still behind the wheel, and when he asked what happened, she refused to answer. She reportedly refused to identify herself and became “difficult and argumentative.” The trooper reported that she appeared to be confused and would not say if she had consumed alcohol or drugs, but he noted that her eyes were watery/glassy. The trooper reported that she refused to get out of the vehicle to be checked by EMS personnel, but when the trooper told her he suspected she was under the influence, she suddenly decided to cooperate with EMS personnel and was transported to the hospital.

The trooper reported that no beverage containers, illegal drugs, or prescription medicine were found in the Hyundai, but he found an iPhone, a driver’s license for Godwin, a North Florida Hospital nurse’s ID card for Godwin, and a North Florida Hospital backpack containing clothing and toiletry items. The trooper reported that he “became suspicious and concerned the driver had traveled from work and may have been intoxicated during that time.”

Two occupants of the construction pickup truck reported that they sustained injuries in the crash. A witness who had been working as a flagger said he saw a black car traveling at high speed, with the driver looking down or slumped over the wheel. He had been holding a stop sign indicating that traffic should stop, but when he saw a car “flying over the hill,” he quickly put the sign into a cone and ran; he said the black car went through without stopping, almost running him over before hitting the two construction vehicles.

The trooper spoke with medical professionals at the hospital and reported that they said Godwin was unconscious because they’d had to give her a sedative due to her “violent behavior and belligerence towards them.” The trooper noted that her face was flushed, consistent with alcohol consumption, and medical staff mentioned alcohol in her blood and advised that the trooper should subpoena her blood test.

A sworn complaint was filed in October 2024, and Godwin retained a private attorney. A formal charge of DUI with property damage was filed in December; in January, Godwin’s attorney objected to the subpoena for her medical records, stating that her symptoms could be attributed to a concussion and the trooper’s request was only based on statements from medical staff that there was alcohol in her blood. A hearing on the objection was held on May 8, and on May 9, the four DUI charges listed above were formally filed. A warrant for Godwin’s arrest was issued on May 22, with bail set at $25,000 by Judge Denise Ferrero.

Godwin was arrested on June 6 and has been released on bail. She does not have any local criminal convictions.

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.