ST. PETERSBURG - A Gulfport woman has been arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter in a December crash that killed a mother of three.
The Florida Highway Patrol had been searching for Jessica Peeples, 22, after her blood-alcohol tests showed a level of 0.178 percent. State law presumes a driver is impaired at a level of 0.08.
An arrest warrant was issued for Peeples in April but she was never found, investigators said. Tips led officials to Maryland, where her family lives. Peeples turned herself in Wednesday at the Pinellas County Jail. She was released after posting bail.
Investigators say that on Dec. 15, Peeples was northbound on Interstate 275 near 54th Avenue when she drove into the path of another car. Peeples' car flipped three times. Her passenger, Christina Bartles, 29, was ejected through the rear window. Bartles suffered massive head injuries and died four days later at Bayfront Medical Center.
The latest charge against Peeples is her second drunken-driving arrest since July.
