Woman 5 times over legal limit, late for work kills mom of 3 in 'horrific' Winter Springs DUI crash: police
WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. - Late for work and allegedly driving nearly five times over the legal limit, a 25-year-old woman T-boned a vehicle, claiming the life of a wife and mother of three at a Winter Springs intersection. The "horrific" crash has not only led to serious DUI charges, but also a heartfelt plea from Chief of Police Matt Tracht to avoid drinking and driving, especially over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.
Asnubil Escobar, a bartender and restaurant manager in Sanford, was arrested at her home on Wednesday night and charged with the following after the incident that unfolded at 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Winter Springs Police Department:
- Vehicular DUI homicide
- DUI with property damage
- DUI causing injury
- DUI with blood alcohol of 0.08 or more
Police responded to the crash at the intersection of State Road 434 and Vistawilla Drive in Winter Springs at around 10 a.m. Escobar, in a white Toyota, allegedly T-boned a white Honda, driven by the victim, Tiffany Alexander.
Alexander's friend from their running club told police that they had just left a park and was driving behind Alexander at the time of the crash, according to an arrest affidavit.
Ansubil Escobar was arrested and charged with vehicular DUI homicide, DUI, DUI with injury and DUI with damage to property on May 22, 2024. (Photo: Seminole County Jail)
"Tiffany did nothing wrong. Tiffany was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and this is an instance where a bad thing happened to a good person," Chief Tracht said during a Thursday morning press conference.
Two of Alexander's kids were in the backseat at the time of the crash – a 9-month-old girl in a car seat and a 4-year-old girl in a booster seat, according to an arrest affidavit. The older daughter had some minor injuries from the crash and also passed out after being taken out of the car by Alexander's friend, police said.
Alexander died at the hospital, according to police.
The kids are OK, but the family is pretty shaken up after the crash, Chief Tracht said.
"I spoke to Mr. Alexander last night, expressed our condolences," Chief Tracht said. "He was very thankful, but he's going through a grieving stage right now. He's in shock. His wife and the mother of the three kids do not have a mother anymore, so he's going to deal with that.
"It's very emotional. I can't think of anybody that would be sitting here, standing here right now, wanting to go through what he's going through."
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Escobar ran a red light while speeding, although it's unclear at this time how fast she was driving, Chief Tracht said, citing the ongoing investigation. The speed limit in the area is a posted 50 mph.
"It seems like everybody is trying to get somewhere fast these days, and not taking into consideration everybody else on the road," Chief Tracht said.
Not only was she speeding, but her blood alcohol level was nearly five times the legal limit at 0.386, according to police. The legal limit is 0.08.
"I don't know anybody in this room, if we'd be standing at a 0.38. I don't know how she was driving it at 0.38," Chief Tracht said during a press conference on Thursday morning. "It boggles my mind."
Escobar told police that she drank her last alcohol beverage at about 1:30 a.m., hours before the crash, when she visited a Sanford bar after work. After that, she said she went home, spent time with her roommate, woke up and left her house at around 9:40 a.m. to go to work, according to the arrest affidavit.
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"You know, I find it hard to believe at 10 o'clock that morning, you're a 0.38. So at 1:30 in the morning, if you stop drinking, are you a 0.4? 0.5? I don't know. You know, probably should be dead at that point," Chief Tracht said.
Chief Tracht said a blood alcohol level that high is something he's rarely seen in his 27 years in law enforcement.
"It's just not common, not very common at all," Chief Tracht said.
The Winter Springs Police Department said they're working closely with the State Attorney's Office on the case to make sure that justice is served for the Alexander family. Chief Tracht added that this wasn't Escobar's first run-in with law enforcement. She has prior misdemeanor arrests for criminal mischief and traffic citations. FOX 35 is working to get more details on those arrests.
Escobar is expected make her first appearance in court at 2 p.m. on Thursday, according to court records. She remains in custody at the Seminole County Jail without bond.
"Just keep the Alexander family in your thoughts and prayers. If you have kids, kiss your kids. You don't know what tomorrow brings," Chief Tracht said.
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He also shared a plea for the community about the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend.
"We will have extra patrols out there. I know Central Florida will have extra patrols out there," Chief Tracht said. "So don't do it. Don't drink and drive. No matter what you think you can do, it's not worth it. It's not worth taking the chance. Use rideshare, call a friend."
AAA has activated its free "Tow to Go" service across Florida for Memorial Day weekend.
Callers – whether they're AAA members or not – can request a tow truck to transport their car and themselves to a safe location within a 10-mile radius. "Tow to Go" is active from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Tuesday.
"By providing this program, AAA gives drivers no excuse for driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or impairing medications," said AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins. "However, we remind people to treat Tow to Go as a last resort. Instead, make advanced plans for a safe ride home, because you do not want to be remembered on Memorial Day as the person who made the fatal mistake of driving impaired."
The service is confidential and free for everyone, regardless if they're an AAA member or not.