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TAMPA (WFLA) — A tragic incident unfolded in Ybor early Saturday morning, resulting in the arrest of a Dade City man now facing eight felony charges. The Tampa Police Department reported that four individuals lost their lives in this devastating crash.
The sequence of events began around 12:40 a.m. when Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw noted that police air units observed two cars racing west along Hillsborough Avenue towards Interstate 275.
Upon reaching the highway, one of the vehicles veered off while the other continued southbound on I-275. As the vehicle exited into the downtown area, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) attempted a traffic stop at Nebraska and Palm, but the effort proved unsuccessful.
According to Bercaw, a PIT maneuver was also attempted by FHP, but the speeding car could not be halted. Sergeant Steve Gaskins later addressed the media, revealing that the troopers disengaged from pursuing the driver as the vehicle entered Ybor City.
The car then careened down 7th Avenue, tragically crashing near Bradley’s, a popular gay bar. The high-speed impact resulted in the vehicle plowing into more than a dozen people gathered outside. The extent of damage to the building remains unspecified by authorities.
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. He has been charged with four felony counts of vehicular homicide and four felony counts of aggravated fleeing with serious bodily injury.
Court records indicate that Sampson received a citation for speeding in Hillsborough County less than two months ago. The complaint said he was going 99 mph on Interstate 75, where the speed limit is 70 mph.
