Wrong-Way Driver Arrested for DUI After Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-75 in Manatee County

A Florida man was arrested early Thursday morning after allegedly driving the wrong way on Interstate 75 in Manatee County and causing a multi-vehicle crash.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 45-year-old Luis Alfredo Manzoni Diez of Wellington was traveling south in the northbound lanes I-75 near Palmetto around 4 a.m. when he struck another vehicle head-on.

The impact triggered a chain reaction involving two additional vehicles. One vehicle struck crash debris, veered into the median, and hit the cable barrier. A fourth vehicle also collided with debris and sustained minor damage.

Following the crash, troopers took Diez into custody. Authorities say he submitted a breath sample with a blood alcohol content of .158—nearly twice the legal limit.

Diez was arrested for driving under the influence and booked into the Manatee County Jail. No serious injuries were reported, and the incident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.