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In the early hours of Saturday morning, a tragic accident in Ybor claimed the lives of four individuals, according to the Tampa Police Department.
The sequence of events began around 12:40 a.m. when Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw reported that police air units observed two vehicles engaged in a high-speed race along Hillsborough Avenue, heading west toward Interstate 275.
As the vehicles approached the highway, one of them veered off, while the other continued southbound on I-275. This particular vehicle made its way into the downtown area, where the Florida Highway Patrol attempted to initiate a traffic stop at the intersection of Nebraska and Palm—an effort that ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Chief Bercaw mentioned that the FHP also tried executing a PIT maneuver in hopes of halting the speeding car, but the attempt was not fruitful.
Sergeant Steve Gaskins, speaking at a brief press conference, explained that the troopers decided to disengage and refrain from pursuing the driver further as it entered Ybor City. The incident remains under investigation as authorities piece together the events leading up to the deadly crash.
The car sped down 7th Avenue and crashed near the gay bar Bradley’s, plowing through more than a dozen people who were outside. Police did not specify what kind of damage the building sustained.
Three of the victims died at the scene, and a fourth person died at the hospital. As of around 5:30 a.m., a fifth person is in critical condition, and eight more are being treated at local hospitals in stable condition. Two others with minor injuries declined treatment at the scene.
Bercaw said all of the victims were adults over 20 years of age.
The suspect, 22-year-old Silas Sampson, was arrested at the scene. FHP is leading the investigation and plans to charge the man with vehicular homicide. Additional felony charges are pending.
