A county-wide DUI Wolfpack operation in Pinellas County, Florida, has been dedicated to Mark Harris, a 41-year-old father killed by an impaired driver last year.
Nine law enforcement agencies were taking part in the weekend crackdown, which began at 7pm on Saturday and was due to continue until 5am on Sunday. Officers were targeting drivers suspected of being under the influence while also enforcing other road safety offences.
DUI Wolfpack operation honours Mark Harris
Harris was killed on May 5, 2024, after a pickup truck carrying him crashed into a semi-truck on Gulf Boulevard at Sand Key.
He had been travelling as a passenger with 38-year-old Michael David Jones after the pair attended a Tampa Bay Rays game. The pickup struck the lorry as it was reversing into a driveway, with the impact forcing the cab underneath the trailer.
Harris died at the scene. His sister, Brenna Olson, said Jones was driving at 26 miles per hour above the speed limit and was almost four times over the legal alcohol limit.
Jones was later charged with DUI vehicular manslaughter in connection with the crash.
Harris’s family remembers him as a quiet man who enjoyed practical jokes and supported the Pittsburgh Steelers. Above all, they said, he adored his daughter, Rylee.
His mother, Sheila Pugh, and Olson addressed officers during a briefing for the operation and thanked the agencies involved.
The family said they hoped the initiative would prevent another death and make clear how quickly one decision to drive while impaired can affect several lives.
“It is 2026 and there is no reason to be on the road, impaired or over the legal limit,” Olson said. “Uber is not expensive. There certainly is no price on a life.”
Officers target impaired and dangerous drivers
The operation was being led by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office alongside local police departments and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Deputy Geoff Moore said the focus was on drivers under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other substances, but officers would also deal with speeding, distracted driving and vehicle-related offences.
Police presence was being increased on some of the county’s busiest roads as part of an effort to reduce collisions, injuries and deaths linked to impaired driving.
Harris’s relatives urged anyone who had been drinking or was otherwise impaired not to get behind the wheel.
Their message to drivers was simple: find another way home.
