MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A woman who crashed into a Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s cruiser near the Skyway 10k race in 2022 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Kristen Kay Watts learned her sentence on Tuesday as she pleaded no contest in court.
Watts was deemed incompetent to stand trial in the months after the crash.
She later entered a treatment program and was deemed competent to stand trial.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Watts was traveling northbound on I-275 while approaching road closures for the race on the morning of March 6, 2022.
Watts failed to stop or detour onto U.S. 41 and drove through several traffic cones and barricades put in place for the 10K.
After going through a toll plaza, she continued driving in the direction of thousands of runners.
Investigators say Watts' blood alcohol level that day was three times the legal limit and that she was driving about 100 mph.
She was charged with DUI with serious bodily injury, DUI damage to property and reckless driving with property damage.
Trooper Toni Schuck drove her cruiser into Watts' vehicle to stop her from nearing the runners. Schuck was seriously injured but has recovered.
Schuck took the stand Tuesday to deliver a victim impact statement.