YBOR CITY, Fla. — A deadly crash occurred early Saturday morning in Ybor City, resulting in four fatalities and several injuries.
At approximately 12:40 a.m., Tampa Police Department (TPD) Air Service began monitoring a vehicle driving recklessly. Five minutes later, TPD and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) located the vehicle at Palm Avenue and Nebraska Avenue but attempted a PIT maneuver that was unsuccessful. The pursued driver continued towards 7th Avenue.
At 12:47 a.m., the vehicle crashed into pedestrians outside of Bradley's on 7th Avenue. TPD held a news conference at 4:15 a.m., confirming that four individuals were killed and several others were injured.
At 5:15 a.m., TPD released the suspect's name as 22-year-old Silas Sampson. Chief Bercaw stated, “What happened this morning was a senseless tragedy… The Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol are committed to seeking justice for the victims and their families.”
A vigil organized by St. Pete Pride was announced for Saturday evening. At 2:23 p.m., authorities updated the number of victims from 15 to 17 and released aerial footage of the incident, showing FHP troopers entering Ybor City shortly before the crash.
In a statement, FHP confirmed that the suspect was armed, stating, “The Florida Highway Patrol mourns the lives taken by this armed fleeing felon.”
At 8:50 p.m., the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released Sampson's booking video, and he made his first court appearance at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Bradley's announced plans to reopen on Monday at 4 p.m.