TAMPA - A Thonotosassa man died and a Florida Highway Patrol employee was critically injured Friday in a traffic accident involving a man whose blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
Authorities say Francisco Gonzalez-Mendez, 42, of 6726 Brookpine Trail, Lakeland, did not yield at a stop sign on Wilder Road N and made a right turn onto Knights Griffin Road E in front of a motorcycle carrying Ronald and Roberta Lewis, both of Thonotosassa. The 1996 Kawasaki motorcycle struck the driver's side of Gonzalez-Mendez's 1999 Ford pickup. The Lewises were thrown from the motorcycle. Ronald Lewis, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene. Roberta Lewis, 54, was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center's Trauma Department, where she was listed in critical condition Saturday.
Sheriff's officials say Gonzalez-Mendez had a blood-alcohol level of 0.21. Florida law says 0.08 is the level at which a person is presumed to be impaired. Gonzalez-Mendez was arrested on charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury, DUI with property damage and driving with a suspended license. He is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail with no bail.
Roberta Lewis is a civilian ad assistant at the highway patrol's Troop C headquarters in Tampa.
