Police: Lakeland woman live streams herself driving drunk

LAKELAND (FOX 13) - A Lakeland woman was not only Periscoping while driving, police say she was live-streaming herself driving drunk and telling the world how drunk she was. 

Lakeland police released the video showing Whitney Beall, 23, driving while broadcasting live to people on the social media app, Periscope, and slurring her words. Police also released dash cam video of Beall doing a field sobriety test.

VIDEO: Watch the extended video in the player above or by clicking here.
(WARNING: CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE).

Lakeland police say Beall received numerous text messages to stop driving before she killed someone or herself.

Beall told her viewers she was "drunk," "f---ing drunk," said she had a flat tire, and also said she didn't know where she was.

"I really hope I don't get a DUI," she says seconds before she hits a sign in the median, which was also caught on video. 

"I'm really drunk, and I'm drunk on I-4," she says, even though she was not on Interstate 4.

A caller told 911 she was driving in north Lakeland and couldn't provide an exact location but said he was watching the video on the live stream.

A police officer used a personal Periscope account to locate Beall on eastbound Carpenter's Way, based on landmarks in the area.

Officers spotted her driving a Toyota Corolla with a flat left front tire.

“Not a lot of people know about Periscope. It’s something that we’re well aware of now," said Sgt. Gary Gross with the Lakeland Police Department. "Thank God somebody saw this and they called in to let us know how drunk she was, so that we could get her off the road.”

Beall failed the field sobriety test and was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail.

“It’s easy to say, on a scale of one to 10, she was easily a 10 plus," added Sgt. Gross.