Four people were killed and 11 others were injured after an alleged street racer lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a crowd of people in Tampa early Saturday morning, authorities said.
The Tampa Police Department said the crash occurred in the vibrant Ybor City neighborhood at 12:45 a.m., hitting a crowd of 15 adults. The incident occurred just outside of a gay bar, Bradley's on 7th, but police said the crash was not targeted.
Three victims died at the scene and a fourth died at a nearby hospital, according to police. Nine other victims were hospitalized, with two in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon, police said. Two other victims with minor injuries declined treatment at the scene, police added.
“What happened this morning was a senseless tragedy, our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims and all those who were impacted,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “Reckless driving put innocent lives in danger. The Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol are committed to seeking justice for the victims and their families.”
Police identified the driver as 22-year-old Silas Sampson, who was detained at the scene, authorities said. It is not clear if he has retained an attorney.
Around 12:40 a.m., the Tampa Police Department’s air service was monitoring a vehicle Sampson was driving recklessly on I-275 and which exited at Doyle Carlton Drive, police said. The same vehicle had previously been observed street racing on Hillsborough Avenue near 22nd Street, police added.
The Florida Highway Patrol initiated a pursuit and unsuccessfully attempted to stop him as he “continued to travel at a high rate of speed toward Nebraska Avenue continuing eastbound on 7th Avenue,” police said. Authorities said they “disengaged as the driver approached 7th Avenue.”
Sampson then continued at a high rate of speed, lost control and crashed into a business, hurtling into the crowd of people, police said.
In a statement, Bradley's on 7th owner Bradley Nelson said the driver hit three people on the sidewalk before careening into the bar's patio.
"This event has been very traumatic for my entire staff, and myself," Nelson said. "Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of those who were killed, and to all the injured."
