ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Just days after golfer Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, a St. Johns County mother spoke out about a law named after her son that could affect cases like Woods.
Mandi Stewart’s son, Trenton Stewart, a football player at Stetson University, was killed in 2023 while home for a college break. Authorities say a repeat drunk driver struck his vehicle in St. Johns County.
Recommended Videos
In the days following her son’s death, Stewart began advocating for tougher penalties for impaired drivers. Her efforts helped lead to the passage of “Trenton’s Law,” which increases penalties for drivers who refuse to submit to breath or urine testing.
Stewart said her push for the law was never about targeting any one person, even as it now applies to high-profile cases like Woods’.
“It doesn’t matter who is being impacted by the changes that we’ve made in the law,” Stewart said. “That’s never easy for me and never something that I consider to be a fulfillment.”
Woods was arrested last week in Martin County following a rollover crash. According to police, he showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. Officers reported that while a breath test showed no alcohol, Woods refused to submit to a urine test. Under Trenton’s Law, a first-time refusal is now a separate misdemeanor offense.
The law is designed to encourage suspected impaired drivers to comply with testing and increase awareness about the consequences of refusal.
Stewart said awareness alone does not bring her comfort.
“I don’t think anybody wins in a situation like that,” she said. “What brings me peace is when I hear that stats are being reduced as it relates to impaired driving, vehicular homicides, and casualties.”
Investigators said the driver responsible for Trenton Stewart’s death, identified as Ariel Monteagudo, was traveling the wrong way at more than 100 miles per hour when the crash occurred. Stewart later learned Monteagudo had a prior fatal crash conviction in 2001 in Broward County and had served 10 years in prison.
Trenton’s Law also increases the maximum penalty for repeat offenders convicted of vehicular homicide or DUI manslaughter from 15 years to 30 years in prison.
“It’s not about catching people driving impaired,” Stewart said. “It’s about preventing people from driving impaired.”
Stewart said she hopes to eventually track data through a foundation established in her son’s name to measure the law’s impact on impaired driving trends across Florida.
As for Woods, who has pleaded not guilty, Stewart said she hopes he gets help if he needs it. Woods announced this week he is stepping away from golf to seek treatment.