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Passenger's death leaves St. Petersburg man facing DUI manslaughter charge

 
Samual T. Thibodeau, 22, of St. Petersburg, was arrested on a charge of DUI manslaughter after the Florida Highway Patrol said he lost control of his car Monday night near downtown St. Petersburg, resulting in the death of  23-year-old passenger Melissa M. Hutchinson, of Spring Hill. The FHP said she died at the scene. [Courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]
Samual T. Thibodeau, 22, of St. Petersburg, was arrested on a charge of DUI manslaughter after the Florida Highway Patrol said he lost control of his car Monday night near downtown St. Petersburg, resulting in the death of 23-year-old passenger Melissa M. Hutchinson, of Spring Hill. The FHP said she died at the scene. [Courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]
Published Dec. 13, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG — A 22-year-old man faces a charge of DUI manslaughter in a Monday night crash that killed his 23-year-old passenger, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The incident took place around 9 p.m. according to the FHP. Driver Samual T. Thibodeau, 22 and 23-year-old Melissa M. Hutchinson were traveling in a 2000 Cadillac SLS, headed south in the inside lane on Interstate 275, approaching the Interstate 375 interchange.

The FHP said as he entered center lane he lost control while weaving back into the inside lane. The car rotated, went onto the inside paved shoulder of the roadway and slammed into the guardrail before flipping over, troopers said.

Hutchinson died at the scene, according to the FHP. Thibodeau was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg for treatment of minor injuries. He was then arrested on a charge of DUI manslaughter and booked into the Pinellas County jail around 2:45 a.m. He was still there Tuesday afternoon, where he was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.