A 53-year-old Dunedin woman was ejected through the fiberglass roof of her Jeep Wrangler after running a red light and slamming into a Tesla in Madeira Beach, and investigators say her blood alcohol level was nearly 3.5 times Florida's legal limit. Jane Walseth was found unresponsive on the pavement following the rollover crash, which happened at the intersection of Gulf Boulevard and 150th Avenue, also known as the Tom Stuart Causeway. She has since been booked into Pinellas County Jail on a charge of DUI causing serious bodily injury, with three prior DUI convictions now compounding her legal exposure.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the collision occurred around 9:43 p.m. on May 10, when Walseth's Jeep struck a 2024 Tesla Model 3 as the other driver attempted an eastbound turn onto 150th Avenue. Tampa Bay 28 reported that Walseth suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, as detailed in a report by Tampa Bay 28. The driver of the Tesla, identified by IONTB as 29-year-old Jordan Tuttle, was initially treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries, though the outlet's report and the arrest affidavit indicate the other driver's injuries ultimately required surgery.
A Blood Alcohol Level That Signals Severe Impairment
Walseth's blood alcohol concentration measured .277%, according to the arrest affidavit — well above the state's .08% legal limit for adult drivers. The University of Florida Police Department notes that a BAC at that level typically produces severe motor coordination impairment and blackouts, a threshold Walseth's reading far exceeded. Per the affidavit, she failed to stop for the red light before striking the Tesla.
The station's report also notes this was not Walseth's first brush with a DUI charge. She had previous DUI convictions in 2012, 2015, and 2021, and the same arrest affidavit that recorded her .277% BAC also documented those three prior offenses.
Fourth DUI Carries Steep Felony Penalties
Because this marks a fourth DUI, Florida law treats the case with unusual severity. Under Florida Statute Section 316.193(2)(b), a fourth DUI offense is charged as a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and mandatory fines between $2,000 and $5,000, according to the O'Mara Law Group. That statute carries no lookback window, meaning the age of Walseth's earlier convictions does not limit prosecutors' ability to charge a fourth offense. Separately, causing serious bodily injury while driving under the influence is its own independent third-degree felony under Florida Statute Section 316.193(3)(c)2, also carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the Galigani Law Firm.
The consequences extend beyond prison time. A fourth DUI conviction triggers permanent, lifetime revocation of a driver's license under Florida Statute Section 322.28, with no option for a hardship reinstatement permit — a harsher outcome than earlier DUI offenses, where hardship permits can sometimes be requested after minimum revocation periods, per Musca Law. Florida law also bars judges from withholding adjudication in DUI cases, according to Thompson Law, meaning any conviction becomes a permanent public record that cannot be sealed or expunged.
Walseth was booked into Pinellas County Jail and held on a $250,000 bond, per the arrest affidavit. Her current court status, including a formal arraignment date, has not been detailed in available reports, and it remains unclear whether her driver's license was valid or already suspended at the time of the May crash.
Part of a Broader Pattern on Pinellas Roads
The crash adds to a string of Pinellas County DUI cases Hoodline has tracked in recent months, including a fatal Largo skateboard crash in June and a Dunedin man charged after a head-on rollover on Belcher Road last August. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has responded to the broader trend with grant-funded high-visibility DUI saturation patrols across the county, targeting high-risk corridors during peak periods. Statewide, the scale of the problem is stark: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles data compiled by Swope, Rodante P.A. shows the state recorded 366,300 total traffic crashes in 2025, including 157,636 injury crashes and 2,930 fatalities. Gulf Boulevard and 150th Avenue, known locally as the Tom Stuart Causeway, is a heavily traveled corridor connecting mainland Pinellas County to Madeira Beach that has undergone Florida Department of Transportation safety reviews, according to City of Madeira Beach public records.
