Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tiffany Katara Sams, 45, of Williston, is facing a vehicular homicide charge after investigators said a blood test showed she was intoxicated when her sedan struck a motorcyclist on I-75 in August 2023.
The crash happened at about 12:22 a.m. on August 29, 2023, as Sams was driving north on I-75 near the 387 mile marker. According to the investigation, she hit a St. Cloud motorcyclist who was traveling in front of her in the same lane. The impact threw the rider onto the roadway, while the motorcycle became lodged beneath Sams’ sedan. The vehicle continued north for roughly 1,500 feet before stopping. The motorcyclist was killed.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators reported finding no brake marks or tire marks that would indicate Sams slowed before the collision. In a post-Miranda interview, Sams reportedly told investigators she did not see the motorcycle until the last second because it had no headlights or taillights. FHP, however, reported that both the motorcycle’s headlight and taillight were functioning at the time of the crash, noting “hot shock present.”
A blood sample collected from Sams at the scene tested positive for alcohol, with a reported result of 0.224 g/100mL.
A sworn complaint charging vehicular homicide while intoxicated was filed in January 2026, and a warrant was issued on July 28. Sams was arrested on August 12. Although her address was listed as Gainesville in 2023, she told Court Services she has lived in Williston for the past year. Court records list two non-violent felony convictions and six misdemeanor convictions, including two violent misdemeanors. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered Sams held without bail pending a hearing on a State Attorney’s Office motion seeking to keep her detained without bail until trial; if the judge denies that motion, bail will be set at the hearing.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
