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Illegal Street Racer Kills Four, Injures Several Others Outside Popular Bar

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4 weeks ago

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Florida Highway Patrol troopers soon intercepted the sedan and initiated a pursuit. Officers attempted a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver, which involves striking the rear fender of the fleeing vehicle to induce a spinout and halt it safely. However, the maneuver proved unsuccessful, and the sedan continued accelerating toward downtown Tampa.

Recognizing the escalating risks in the densely populated urban area, the highway patrol disengaged from the chase. Despite this, the driver maintained high speeds, weaving through streets in the direction of Ybor City, a neighborhood popular for its cigar-making history, eclectic bars, and appeal to tourists and locals alike.

As the sedan approached Bradley’s on 7th, a bustling establishment on East 7th Avenue, the driver lost control. The vehicle veered off the road and struck more than a dozen pedestrians gathered outside the bar.

Emergency responders arrived swiftly to a chaotic scene, with victims scattered across a wide area. Three victims were pronounced dead at the location, while a fourth succumbed to injuries at a nearby hospital. By Saturday afternoon, the injury tally stood at 11, with two individuals remaining in critical condition. Seven others were listed as stable, while four others suffered minor injuries.

The Tampa Fire Rescue and local hospitals coordinated the response, with medical teams working to stabilize the wounded amid the overnight rush.

Authorities identified the driver as 22-year-old Silas Sampson of Tampa. He was apprehended shortly after the crash and booked into Hillsborough County Jail by Saturday morning.

According to court documents, Sampson faces four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing or eluding with serious bodily injury or death, each classified as a first-degree felony under Florida law. No attorney was listed for Sampson at the time, and he has not yet entered a plea.

The Florida Highway Patrol is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department, to determine additional factors such as the driver’s impairment or prior criminal history.

“What happened this morning was a senseless tragedy, our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims and all those who were impacted,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw.

Sampson was previously cited for speeding, when he was stopped going 99 miles-per-hour in 70 miles-per-hour zone just two months prior to the incident.

After Sampson’s arrest, a close friend of his, Anthony Harris, called for him to be freed because “lord knows he didn’t mean to harm anyone.”

“Man right or wrong im with my Lil brother 10 toes down bout whatever, im sorry for you guys lost but point blank period the police should’ve ended the chase, they had no business putting other people in danger.. Free my brother man Silas Sampson,” Harris wrote in a follow-up post.

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