TAMPA – Four people are dead and at least 13 are injured after a man crashed into an Ybor City business early Saturday morning, according to officers.
The Tampa Police Department said they arrested Silas Sampson, 22, on multiple charges after the massive deadly crash.
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What we know:
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw says this began at 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning when officers spotted two vehicles racing near Hanna Avenue and Nebraska Avenue in Tampa. They proceeded westbound on Hillsborough Avenue when one of the vehicles drove onto I-275 Southbound.
TPD’s air unit tracked it as it then exited downtown. Florida Highway Patrol troopers joined in and tracked the vehicle to Nebraska Avenue and Palm Avenue, where they attempted a PIT maneuver.
The vehicle then proceeded down busy 7th Avenue, and ultimately lost control of the car and crashed into the patio area of Bradley’s On 7th, which is located in the 1500 block of East 7th Avenue. More than a dozen people were hit outside the business.
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Three pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fourth victim died at a hospital, according to TPD. Officals said 13 other people suffered injuries ranging from life-threatening to minor. However, after law enforcement’s initial statements, they said a couple of the victims may have taken themselves to the hospital, so the numbers could range from 15-17.
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All the victims were adults over the age of 20.
“This morning we had a tragic incident where at least four victims senselessly lost their lives and eleven others were injured as a result of a careless, reckless driver,” Bercaw said.
Pictured: Silas Sampson. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
As of now, police said they haven’t found any evidence that suggest Sampson’s actions were targeting a specific person or business. He was arrested and will be charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing to elude with serious bodily injuries.
What they’re saying:
Witnesses were left stunned by the scene that unfolded in the early morning hours of Saturday.
“Just came here to have a nice cigar and relax a little bit with some friends and was on my way home. Got a little hungry, wanted to get a slice of pizza — went over to New York, New York. After I did it, turned around, and here comes the car,” Howard Hopkins, a witness to the crash, said. “Jumps the curb, hits the corner of the building, then comes into Bradley’s patio and just runs right through people… tables went everywhere, chairs went everywhere, bodies went everywhere — it was pretty bad.”
Hopkins says officers nearby ran straight toward the wreckage.
“They smashed out the window, they got him out, they subdued him, they cuffed him up and took him away. But during that same time, you know, people were screaming — they had to put up the crime-scene tape,” he said.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also released a statement on social media about the crash:
“What happened in Ybor City last night was devastating. Families are grieving, first responders are hurting, and our entire city feels this loss. My thoughts are with everyone affected. The investigation into this crash is ongoing, and we are working to get answers. Keeping our community safe will always be my top priority, and that commitment only deepens in moments like this.”
What’s next:
Tampa police closed off 7th Avenue between 15th and 18th Streets as they investigated, but say they are working to reopen it.
The Source: This information came from the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Ybor CityCrime and Public Safety
