A 19-year-old Zephyrhills man is facing felony charges after Florida Highway Patrol troopers say he hit roughly 130 mph while fleeing up Interstate 275 late Saturday night, weaving through traffic without his headlights on before colliding with two other cars and getting stopped by a trooper's PIT maneuver. Yaseen Algmaiee was taken into custody on charges including aggravated fleeing to elude and hit-and-run with property damage, according to the arrest affidavit.
The pursuit began after a Pinellas County trooper attempted to catch up with a speeding black Chevrolet Corvette traveling northbound on I-275, as reported by Tampa Bay 28. A Hillsborough County trooper then spotted the Corvette traveling without taillights and making multiple lane changes around vehicles at very high speed, the outlet reported. Near mile marker 47, a trooper activated emergency lights and sirens, and FHP said the driver accelerated and fled rather than stopping.
Weaving Through Traffic Without Lights
According to the affidavit, the driver continued northbound while weaving through traffic, passing vehicles on both highway shoulders and traveling without his vehicle's lights on. The affidavit also alleges the driver flashed his headlights at motorists to make them move aside as he barreled up the interstate. The chase covered a stretch of a highway that, per Wikipedia, spans 60 miles across four counties and serves as Tampa's primary north-south artery before terminating near Wesley Chapel.
The posted speed limit on I-275 runs between 55 and 65 mph through Tampa's urban corridor before climbing to 70 mph near the Pasco County line approaching State Road 56, according to AARoads. That means the Corvette was allegedly traveling at nearly double the legal limit when it exited I-275 near mile marker 59 at approximately 130 mph, heading toward State Road 56.
Crash and PIT Maneuver End the Chase
According to FHP, the driver collided with two cars while attempting to squeeze between them during a lane change on State Road 56. A trooper then performed a PIT maneuver that ended the pursuit, the affidavit states. Troopers said Algmaiee was transported to Hillsborough County Jail without incident.
Florida Highway Patrol policy allows troopers to execute PIT maneuvers to end pursuits without prior supervisory authorization, provided they have completed agency training on the technique, per the Florida Highway Patrol Policy Manual. That approach has drawn scrutiny: a 2023 U.S. Department of Justice study flagged PIT maneuvers as high-risk interventions and recommended against using them at speeds exceeding 40 mph or against vehicles carrying passengers, according to an FHP safety policy analysis.
What Algmaiee Could Face
Algmaiee's aggravated fleeing to elude charge falls under Florida's expanded fleeing and eluding statute, CS/CS/HB 113, which took effect on October 1, 2025. Under the updated law, high-speed fleeing or reckless driving while evading law enforcement is now a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and a 1.5x sentencing multiplier for repeat offenders, according to the Law Office of W.F. Casey Ebsary Jr. The hit-and-run charge carries far lighter exposure on its own: under Florida Statute § 316.061, leaving the scene of a crash involving only property damage is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, per the Florida Senate's statutes.
Detailed crash reports from Saturday night's incident are not expected to surface immediately. Florida Statute Section 316.066 keeps motor vehicle crash reports containing personal identifying information confidential and exempt from public disclosure for 60 days following an incident.
A Familiar Pattern on Tampa Bay Highways
This is not the first time a high-speed pursuit has unfolded on I-275 in recent months. In late August, FHP troopers arrested a driver who wove through packed lanes of I-275 traffic before crashing into another vehicle in Pinellas County, as Hoodline previously reported. That same month, two Zephyrhills teenagers were arrested after fleeing a traffic stop in a stolen vehicle and causing four separate crashes on the same corridor, and in March, troopers said a Tampa driver hit 132 mph before crashing and biting a trooper during his arrest.
The pattern extends beyond I-275. In August, FHP troopers arrested four individuals on nearby I-75 after more than 100 vehicles blocked highway lanes during an illegal street takeover that culminated in a pursuit reaching 140 mph. Together, the incidents reflect a broader concern among Tampa Bay law enforcement about extreme speeds and reckless evasions across the region's interstates, even as state lawmakers have moved to toughen penalties for drivers who flee.
