A speeding car fleeing from the police crashed into a crowded bar on Saturday morning. As a result, 4 people were killed and 11 others were injured in a historic neighborhood in the city of Tampa, Florida, known for its nightlife and its attraction to tourists.
According to the German News Agency, an air patrol unit affiliated with the Tampa Police Station spotted a silver sedan driving recklessly on a highway at about 12:40 a.m., after it was spotted doing a street race in another neighborhood.
The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with the car and attempted a maneuver that involved hitting the rear fender of the fleeing car to cause its driver to lose control of it, but the attempt was not crowned with success.
Tampa Police said Highway Patrol officers “discontinued the pursuit” as the car sped toward the historic Ybor City district near downtown.
Police added, “The driver eventually lost control of the car and hit more than a dozen people standing outside the bar.”
Three people died at the scene, and the fourth died in hospital. As of Saturday afternoon, two people were hospitalized in critical condition, seven were listed in stable condition, and two had been treated and released, police said.
In addition, there were two people who sustained only minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene.
Officers announced that the suspect was identified as Silas Sampson (22 years old), and he was arrested on Saturday and detained in the Hillsborough County Jail.
Court documents show Sampson was charged with 4 counts of vehicular homicide and 4 counts of fleeing or evading with serious bodily injury or death, all first-degree felonies.
