TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Tampa Police said a wrong-way driver has been arrested for DUI after nearly colliding with a Tampa PD DUI unit.

According to TPD, it all started just after 5 a.m. A DUI unit officer was on his way home at the end of his shift heading northbound on Interstate 275 near Fowler Avenue when he realized that a vehicle was traveling south in the northbound left lane at a high rate of speed.

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The officer was also in the left lane and had to take evasive actions, narrowly avoiding a crash, while calling out the wrong-way driver over the police radio, police officials said. Another officer saw the car exiting the highway in the wrong direction at Busch Boulevard, performed a traffic stop, in which upon contact with the driver, he observed signs of impairment, police said.

A DUI unit responded to the traffic stop and field sobriety exercises were conducted, police said. The driver, who has been identified as 34-year-old Aja S. Cancela, was placed under arrest on the driving under the influence charge.

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Tampa Bay area wrong-way incidents 2008-2016 (Information courtesy FDOT)

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