A Jacksonville woman charged with DUI manslaughter may be part of a growing trend of women drinking and driving.

Sasha Pringle was arrested Saturday night after police said she crashed into another car, sending it over the Buckman Bridge, killing the driver.

Shawn Arnold, a criminal attorney in Jacksonville, said about half of his DUI clients are women. He said that’s a big increase from when he first started practicing law 11 years ago.

“It seemed to be 85 percent or so male,” he said.

From 2008 to 2009, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office had a 3 percent increase in the number of females arrested for DUI.

Nassau County had an increase of 16 percent from 2007 to 2008, although the numbers were slightly down in 2009.

One First Coast woman who didn’t want to be identified, said she was never arrested for drinking and driving, but could have been.

“I probably did it hundreds if not thousands of times. I should have had many DUIs,” she said.

When she heard about Saturday’s deadly crash on the Buckman Bridge, her heart sank, she said.

“It could have been me. I’m just very, very grateful it never was. I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to be responsible for that,” she said.

She doesn’t drink anymore and has been attending alcohol anonymous meetings for years.  She doesn’t know why she started abusing liquor and why she would have ever mixed it with driving.

Arnold said there are several theories as to why more women are drinking and driving.

“There’s more women in the workplace. They seem to have more money and they’re out more often at night now…that seems to have changed the dynamic,” said Arnold.

If you have been arrested for Florida DUI you have only 10 days to request an administrative review hearing in order to avoid automatic license suspension.

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