CLEARWATER, FL – A Pinellas County woman, Hannah M. Ray, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Clearwater and Clearwater Police Officer Scott Yeates, alleging false arrest, violation of her constitutional rights, and intentional infliction of emotional distress following a December 2022 incident that led to her being charged with DUI manslaughter. The charges were later dropped, but Ray claims the ordeal caused significant harm to her reputation and well-being.
The lawsuit, filed on September 5, 2024, in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Pinellas County, stems from a collision shortly after midnight on December 4, 2022, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. According to the complaint, Ray attempted to turn left onto a frontage road near her apartment complex, Arabelle Clearwater Apartments, when she encountered a poorly marked “Road Closed” sign mid-turn. At that time, motorcyclist Jeffrey Conner, traveling eastbound on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard at a high rate of speed, collided with her vehicle. Conner, whose blood alcohol content was reportedly nearly three times the legal limit and who had over 50 arrests and citations, including multiple DUI charges, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Ray alleges that Officer Yeates fabricated signs of impairment to justify her arrest, including claims of bloodshot eyes and mumbled speech. The complaint states that body-worn camera (BWC) footage and photographs contradict those observations. Over four hours of BWC footage reportedly show Ray speaking clearly and performing field sobriety tests without difficulty. Paramedics at the scene, including Jonathan Brown, found no evidence of alcohol use. Subsequent toxicology results confirmed that Ray had no alcohol or drugs in her system.
Despite these findings, Ray’s mugshot and arrest information were shared by the Clearwater Police Department on social media in a post stating she “causes crash that killed a motorcyclist.” The post remained online until June 2023, leading to public backlash and widespread media coverage. The State Attorney’s Office dropped the charges on January 23, 2023, citing a lack of supporting evidence…