ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – A woman who had been drinking tequila at a local Carrabba’s with her friend said she thought she hit a median when really she ran over her friend, according to the Altamonte Springs Police Department.
Police said Rita Fulp, 75, went to the restaurant with Larry Christian Anderson the evening of Oct. 5, 2019 and after she had three mixed tequila drinks and some shrimp, she offered to drive her friend home.
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Fulp said she dropped Anderson off at Sun Ridge condos at his request but when they arrived, he kept getting in and out of the vehicle until Fulp said she told him she was leaving and started to drive away, which is when she hit something she assumed was a median, records show.
Surveillance video showed Anderson getting out of the car and then falling as he was behind it. About 30 seconds later, Fulp reversed, which caused her rear tires to run over Anderson, according to the report.
Police said Fulp got out of her vehicle, checked the front of the car then got back behind the wheel and reversed a second time, striking Anderson with the front tires.
A witness saw Anderson on the ground and ran over to help him up before he realized the victim was lying in a pool of blood, records show.
Police said Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Oh my gosh, I just killed my friend,” Fulp said when she realized what happened, according to the affidavit.
Although Fulp admitted to drinking, she said she felt she wasn’t too drunk to drive, records show.
She also said she was too emotional and upset to complete a field sobriety test, according to authorities.
An officer at the scene said Fulp smelled of alcohol, she had a gated walk and she had to lean against a tree to support herself.
Records show results of a blood test recently came back and indicated that Fulp had a blood alcohol content of 0.12 and 0.19.
Fulp was arrested Wednesday on a charge of vehicular manslaughter - DUI.