FL Woman Charged In Fatal DUI Crash Was Over Twice The Legal Limit

TAMPA, FL — A woman accused of driving under the influence was arrested after a Monday morning crash that left her passenger dead, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Deputies responded to the crash in the area of 78th Street North under the Selmon Crosstown Expressway around 2:30 a.m. after a 911 call. The caller said that a van had hit the concrete median and was on fire.

The deputies who responded at the scene pulled the driver, Maria Elena Menjivar, 51, and her passenger, 54-year-old Emilio Alfaro-Herrera, from the burning vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.

They were both brought to Tampa General Hospital, where Alfaro-Herrera was pronounced dead. Menjivar suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Menjivar showed “clear signs of impairment” and has a blood alcohol concentration of .2, which is more than twice the legal limit, the sheriff’s office said.

She was charged with DUI manslaughter.

"There is no excuse for getting behind the wheel while impaired," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "One reckless decision took an innocent life. This tragedy should remind us all how devastating the consequences of impaired driving can be. Our hearts go out to the victim's loved ones."