4 Dead and 11 Injured After Car Crashes into Bar While Fleeing Police

A speeding car fleeing police slammed into a crowded bar early Saturday in Tampa, Florida, killing four people and injuring 11 in the city’s historic Ybor District, a popular nightlife and tourist hub.

Tampa police said an air patrol unit spotted a silver sedan driving recklessly on a freeway around 12:40 a.m., after it had been seen street racing in another neighborhood. Florida Highway Patrol officers tried to stop the vehicle using a PIT maneuver, which involves nudging a car to spin it out, but it failed.

The driver then sped toward Ybor City, ultimately losing control and striking more than a dozen people outside Bradley’s on 7th. Three victims died at the scene, while a fourth later died at a hospital. Authorities reported that two people remain in critical condition, seven are stable, and two others were treated and released. Two additional people suffered minor injuries and declined treatment.

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

Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Silas Sampson, who was booked Saturday and is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail. Court documents show Sampson faces four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing or eluding with serious injury or death — all first-degree felonies. No attorney was immediately listed for him.

Mayor Jane Castor, who previously served as Tampa’s first female police chief, said on social media, “Our entire city feels this loss.” She confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.

High-speed police chases have sparked controversy in recent years, with some states and agencies calling for tighter restrictions to protect civilians and officers. A 2023 Department of Justice-funded study recommended limiting chases due to the high risk of fatalities. Yet Florida’s highway patrol has loosened limits on chases and PIT maneuvers, tactics the report called “high-risk” and “controversial.”