A Canadian woman faces a list of charges after she turned her vehicle into the path of another vehicle on Sugarloaf Key just after midnight Sunday, causing a crash.
According to Traffic Enforcement Deputy Juan Martin-Reyes, 37 year old Melissa Mullen was northbound in a 2014 Dodge Challenger when she turned in front of a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage. The crash occurred in front of the Sugarloaf Lodge at the 17 mile marker of the highway. Mullen then left the scene of the crash, walking to her hotel room at the lodge.
When deputies arrived, they found the passenger who’d been riding with Mullen still on the scene, along with the driver of the other vehicle, who was taken to Lower Keys Hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
When deputies went to her room to get her, she became extremely belligerent, yelling and cursing at them. She continued to be belligerent and loud throughout her interactions with the officers. She refused to follow any of their instructions as they investigated the crash and her involvement.
Mullen, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol was taken into custody. The passenger in her car confirmed she’d been driving at the time of the crash. He said the two of them had been at Hog’s Breath Saloon before returning to their motel.
Mullen was charged with refusing to obey police during a crash investigation, refusal to sign a criminal citation, resisting arrest and refusing to identify herself during a crash investigation. She also received citations for failing to yield to oncoming traffic, leaving the scene of a crash, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of alcohol involving a crash.
