Wrong-Way Driver Arrested for 2nd DUI and Other Charges in Hillsborough County

Photo of Pedro Ivan Gregorio’s arrest. Photo by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s on Facebook

While most people were still sleeping in the early morning hours of November 13, one Florida man was driving the wrong way down the highway in Hillsborough County. According to a release on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s (HCSO) official Facebook page, it first received several reports about a wrong-way driver around 4:00 a.m. 

The vehicle was described as a Dodge Charger, and the reports claimed that the car was driving southbound in the northbound lanes close to mile marker 267 on I-75. Police had located the vehicle, which was being driven without headlights, by 4:10 a.m. 

They took approximately five minutes to box the car in after that. Body camera footage showing a few moments of the chase and arrest was released with the HCSO’s statement. 

In the video, one of the responding officers can be heard commenting about “pinning” the vehicle. A separate officer then commanded the reluctant driver to get “out of the car”.

The driver was identified as 25-year-old Pedro Ivan Gregorio. Deputies also discovered that not only was he driving the wrong way without headlights, but he was under the influence as well. 

Gregorio has been charged with reckless driving, his second conviction of driving under the influence, and driving with a license that is canceled, revoked, or suspended. He is currently being held at Falkenburg Road Jail with no bond set.

Sheriff Chad Chronister commented on the incident saying, “This reckless behavior could have easily led to tragedy. Thanks to our deputies’ swift response, a dangerous situation was prevented. We remain committed to keeping our roads safe and will not tolerate drivers who put our community at risk.”
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Article by Ema Tibbetts