Topline: A recorded jail call and court testimony indicate the driver was released after a traffic stop shortly before the crash that killed a 96-year-old man.
Published: March 27, 2026 3:00 pm ET
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Genise Taylor (via Collier County Jail)
COLLIER COUNTY, FL — Authorities say a woman charged in a deadly I-75 crash had an earlier encounter with law enforcement that same morning, when a deputy pulled her over and allowed her to leave.
“You got pulled over at 2:30 in the morning. Correct?” a caller asked Taylor in the recorded conversation, according to Gulf Coast News Now.
“Yeah. But it was a cop that I knew. And he let me go,” Taylor said.
The call, later presented in court, placed the traffic stop around 2:30 a.m. on U.S. 41 — less than two hours before investigators say Taylor, driving drunk and the wrong way on I-75, caused a crash that killed 96-year-old Arthur Gilbert and injured another driver.
According to WINK News, Taylor appeared in court Monday for a pre-trial hearing, at times holding back tears as prosecutors laid out a timeline they say began with a night of bar hopping in Naples’ Mercato district. She remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Prosecutors said Taylor had been cited for speeding during the traffic stop by Collier County Deputy Eric Pellegrino. In the jail call, she acknowledged knowing the deputy. “She says, yes, she was stopped, and then she knew the officer,” Assistant State Attorney Mara Marzano said in court, according to WINK.
During the call, the person speaking with Taylor suggested the stop — and her release — could become a factor in her defense.
“And the cop let you go. Well, he shouldn’t have done that. And that’s going to be something that helps you out in your case because that cop should’ve… that cop should have stopped you and not let you drive anymore. At least. But he didn’t,” the caller said.
Taylor pushed back on part of that claim, responding, “He didn’t let me drive. He didn’t let me drive. My friend…took the car.”
“Oh, oh my god bro. Oh my god bro,” the caller replied.
But prosecutors told the court that Taylor ultimately got back behind the wheel. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper testified she was driving with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit and heading the wrong way on the interstate, according to Gulf Coast News Now. Video evidence, they said, showed other vehicles swerving to avoid her before the crash.
Investigators outlined a sequence of events that unfolded rapidly after the initial stop. According to testimony cited by WINK, two friends picked Taylor up and took her car to a Waffle House near Pine Ridge Road. Surveillance cameras later captured the vehicle stopped at a red light at Golden Gate Parkway and the I-75 entrance ramp around 3:35 a.m., where it remained for more than half an hour.
“She’s asleep at an intersection for half an hour or more, and then proceeds to somehow get on the interstate going the wrong way,” Marzano said.
Authorities believe Taylor entered the southbound ramp but turned in the opposite direction, driving north in the southbound lanes. Around 4:16 a.m., her vehicle collided head-on with two cars near mile marker 110, killing Gilbert.
Taylor’s defense attorney, Josh Faett, argued in court that the crash was not intentional. “There wasn’t an intent for this to happen,” Faett said. “It’s a series of events that spiraled out of control and unfortunately ended in someone’s death.”
Prosecutors countered that Taylor poses a continuing risk. “There are no conditions of bond that would protect the community from physical harm by her,” Marzano said.
A judge agreed, ruling Taylor “does pose a threat of harm to the community” and ordering that she remain in jail without bond.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has identified Pellegrino as the deputy who conducted the initial stop. According to Gulf Coast News Now, Taylor said the deputy allowed her to call friends to pick her up along with her car. Authorities have not confirmed whether Pellegrino detected signs of intoxication, smelled alcohol, or had his body camera activated during the encounter.
The sheriff’s office said an internal investigation into Pellegrino’s actions is underway, though he has not been placed on administrative leave. Officials added, according to WINK, that Pellegrino joined the agency on June 18, 2024, after previously working with the Baltimore County Police Department.
Taylor remains in custody as the case moves forward.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Deputy Pulled Over, Released Alleged Drunk Driver Hours Before Deadly Crash
A recorded jail call and court testimony indicate the driver was released after a traffic stop shortly before the crash that killed a 96-year-old man.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 27, 2026 3:00 pm ET
Genise Taylor (via Collier County Jail)
COLLIER COUNTY, FL — Authorities say a woman charged in a deadly I-75 crash had an earlier encounter with law enforcement that same morning, when a deputy pulled her over and allowed her to leave.
“You got pulled over at 2:30 in the morning. Correct?” a caller asked Taylor in the recorded conversation, according to Gulf Coast News Now.
“Yeah. But it was a cop that I knew. And he let me go,” Taylor said.
The call, later presented in court, placed the traffic stop around 2:30 a.m. on U.S. 41 — less than two hours before investigators say Taylor, driving drunk and the wrong way on I-75, caused a crash that killed 96-year-old Arthur Gilbert and injured another driver.
According to WINK News, Taylor appeared in court Monday for a pre-trial hearing, at times holding back tears as prosecutors laid out a timeline they say began with a night of bar hopping in Naples’ Mercato district. She remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Prosecutors said Taylor had been cited for speeding during the traffic stop by Collier County Deputy Eric Pellegrino. In the jail call, she acknowledged knowing the deputy. “She says, yes, she was stopped, and then she knew the officer,” Assistant State Attorney Mara Marzano said in court, according to WINK.
During the call, the person speaking with Taylor suggested the stop — and her release — could become a factor in her defense.
“And the cop let you go. Well, he shouldn’t have done that. And that’s going to be something that helps you out in your case because that cop should’ve… that cop should have stopped you and not let you drive anymore. At least. But he didn’t,” the caller said.
Taylor pushed back on part of that claim, responding, “He didn’t let me drive. He didn’t let me drive. My friend…took the car.”
“Oh, oh my god bro. Oh my god bro,” the caller replied.
But prosecutors told the court that Taylor ultimately got back behind the wheel. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper testified she was driving with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit and heading the wrong way on the interstate, according to Gulf Coast News Now. Video evidence, they said, showed other vehicles swerving to avoid her before the crash.
Investigators outlined a sequence of events that unfolded rapidly after the initial stop. According to testimony cited by WINK, two friends picked Taylor up and took her car to a Waffle House near Pine Ridge Road. Surveillance cameras later captured the vehicle stopped at a red light at Golden Gate Parkway and the I-75 entrance ramp around 3:35 a.m., where it remained for more than half an hour.
“She’s asleep at an intersection for half an hour or more, and then proceeds to somehow get on the interstate going the wrong way,” Marzano said.
Authorities believe Taylor entered the southbound ramp but turned in the opposite direction, driving north in the southbound lanes. Around 4:16 a.m., her vehicle collided head-on with two cars near mile marker 110, killing Gilbert.
Taylor’s defense attorney, Josh Faett, argued in court that the crash was not intentional. “There wasn’t an intent for this to happen,” Faett said. “It’s a series of events that spiraled out of control and unfortunately ended in someone’s death.”
Prosecutors countered that Taylor poses a continuing risk. “There are no conditions of bond that would protect the community from physical harm by her,” Marzano said.
A judge agreed, ruling Taylor “does pose a threat of harm to the community” and ordering that she remain in jail without bond.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has identified Pellegrino as the deputy who conducted the initial stop. According to Gulf Coast News Now, Taylor said the deputy allowed her to call friends to pick her up along with her car. Authorities have not confirmed whether Pellegrino detected signs of intoxication, smelled alcohol, or had his body camera activated during the encounter.
The sheriff’s office said an internal investigation into Pellegrino’s actions is underway, though he has not been placed on administrative leave. Officials added, according to WINK, that Pellegrino joined the agency on June 18, 2024, after previously working with the Baltimore County Police Department.
Taylor remains in custody as the case moves forward.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Deputy Pulled Over, Released Alleged Drunk Driver Hours Before Deadly Crash
A recorded jail call and court testimony indicate the driver was released after a traffic stop shortly before the crash that killed a 96-year-old man.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 27, 2026 3:00 pm ET
Genise Taylor (via Collier County Jail)
COLLIER COUNTY, FL — Authorities say a woman charged in a deadly I-75 crash had an earlier encounter with law enforcement that same morning, when a deputy pulled her over and allowed her to leave.
“You got pulled over at 2:30 in the morning. Correct?” a caller asked Taylor in the recorded conversation, according to Gulf Coast News Now.
“Yeah. But it was a cop that I knew. And he let me go,” Taylor said.
The call, later presented in court, placed the traffic stop around 2:30 a.m. on U.S. 41 — less than two hours before investigators say Taylor, driving drunk and the wrong way on I-75, caused a crash that killed 96-year-old Arthur Gilbert and injured another driver.
According to WINK News, Taylor appeared in court Monday for a pre-trial hearing, at times holding back tears as prosecutors laid out a timeline they say began with a night of bar hopping in Naples’ Mercato district. She remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Prosecutors said Taylor had been cited for speeding during the traffic stop by Collier County Deputy Eric Pellegrino. In the jail call, she acknowledged knowing the deputy. “She says, yes, she was stopped, and then she knew the officer,” Assistant State Attorney Mara Marzano said in court, according to WINK.
During the call, the person speaking with Taylor suggested the stop — and her release — could become a factor in her defense.
“And the cop let you go. Well, he shouldn’t have done that. And that’s going to be something that helps you out in your case because that cop should’ve… that cop should have stopped you and not let you drive anymore. At least. But he didn’t,” the caller said.
Taylor pushed back on part of that claim, responding, “He didn’t let me drive. He didn’t let me drive. My friend…took the car.”
“Oh, oh my god bro. Oh my god bro,” the caller replied.
But prosecutors told the court that Taylor ultimately got back behind the wheel. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper testified she was driving with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit and heading the wrong way on the interstate, according to Gulf Coast News Now. Video evidence, they said, showed other vehicles swerving to avoid her before the crash.
Investigators outlined a sequence of events that unfolded rapidly after the initial stop. According to testimony cited by WINK, two friends picked Taylor up and took her car to a Waffle House near Pine Ridge Road. Surveillance cameras later captured the vehicle stopped at a red light at Golden Gate Parkway and the I-75 entrance ramp around 3:35 a.m., where it remained for more than half an hour.
“She’s asleep at an intersection for half an hour or more, and then proceeds to somehow get on the interstate going the wrong way,” Marzano said.
Authorities believe Taylor entered the southbound ramp but turned in the opposite direction, driving north in the southbound lanes. Around 4:16 a.m., her vehicle collided head-on with two cars near mile marker 110, killing Gilbert.
Taylor’s defense attorney, Josh Faett, argued in court that the crash was not intentional. “There wasn’t an intent for this to happen,” Faett said. “It’s a series of events that spiraled out of control and unfortunately ended in someone’s death.”
Prosecutors countered that Taylor poses a continuing risk. “There are no conditions of bond that would protect the community from physical harm by her,” Marzano said.
A judge agreed, ruling Taylor “does pose a threat of harm to the community” and ordering that she remain in jail without bond.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has identified Pellegrino as the deputy who conducted the initial stop. According to Gulf Coast News Now, Taylor said the deputy allowed her to call friends to pick her up along with her car. Authorities have not confirmed whether Pellegrino detected signs of intoxication, smelled alcohol, or had his body camera activated during the encounter.
The sheriff’s office said an internal investigation into Pellegrino’s actions is underway, though he has not been placed on administrative leave. Officials added, according to WINK, that Pellegrino joined the agency on June 18, 2024, after previously working with the Baltimore County Police Department.
Taylor remains in custody as the case moves forward.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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