Four people were killed and 11 others injured early Saturday after a vehicle involved in a police pursuit plowed into a crowd outside a bar in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood, authorities said.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said the incident began just after 12:40 a.m. when officers observed two cars racing westbound on Hillsborough Avenue toward Interstate 275. One car separated from the group while a silver 2019 Toyota Camry continued southbound on I-275 and later exited into the downtown area.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) initiated a pursuit and attempted a traffic stop. Troopers tried a PIT (precision immobilization technique) maneuver to stop the Camry; when the maneuver failed, FHP backed off, Chief Bercaw said.
After the pursuit was discontinued, the Camry traveled at a high rate of speed down 7th Avenue. Just east of 15th Street, the vehicle struck more than a dozen people gathered outside Bradley’s on 7th, a popular bar in Ybor City.
Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene and a fourth died after being taken to a hospital, police said. A fifth person remains hospitalized in critical condition. Eight more victims are receiving hospital treatment and are listed as stable. Two people with minor injuries declined treatment at the scene. Police said all victims were adults over the age of 20.
“They were out in Ybor, having a good time, expecting to go home safely,” Chief Bercaw said, describing the scene as a tragedy caused by a reckless driver.
Authorities took 22-year-old Silas Sampson of Dade City into custody; he is being held in the Hillsborough County Jail. The Florida Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.
The FHP announced charges against Sampson that include four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts related to aggravated fleeing to elude that caused serious bodily injury and/or death. Officials said additional felony charges are expected as the investigation continues.
The investigation remains active as authorities work to confirm details, interview witnesses and review evidence from the scene.