A driver who ran from a traffic stop on Halloween night tore through a Tampa intersection, slammed into a car carrying three people, and then took off on foot — leaving one passenger dead and two others hurt. Tampa police are now asking the public to help identify who was behind the wheel.
According to the Tampa Police Department, the driver of a 2002 Chevy Avalanche fled a traffic stop near 13th Street and 28th Avenue on Saturday night. The driver ran a stop sign and slammed into a 2019 Nissan Pathfinder that had three people inside, police said; two unoccupied vehicles were struck before the Nissan.
The impact sent the Nissan careening into a utility pole, police said. The Chevy driver did not stop to check on anyone inside, per the department's account relayed through the Tampa Bay station.
Driver Abandoned the Truck and Ran
Rather than stay at the scene, the Chevy driver got out of the vehicle and ran off, according to police. One of the three people riding in the Nissan Pathfinder later died from their injuries. The other two occupants were taken to the hospital with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.
Florida law addresses crashes involving death or personal injuries under section 316.027, according to Florida Senate records. Detectives are now working to identify the driver who allegedly fled both the initial stop and the crash, and they're asking anyone with information to come forward.
Tip Line Open as Investigation Continues
Anyone with information is encouraged to call 813-213-6130 and reference case number 26-641095, police said. The investigation remains ongoing, and no arrest had been announced as of the department's latest update.
This is not the first time Tampa police have worked a fatal hit-and-run this year. In May, officers investigated a fatal hit-and-run near West Waters Avenue and North Albany Avenue after a 19-year-old bicyclist was struck, according to the City of Tampa.
A Statewide Pattern of Drivers Fleeing the Scene
The Halloween-night crash fits into a broader trend across Florida. Hit-and-run crashes statewide have climbed 40% over the past decade, according to data cited by FOX 13 Tampa Bay, which reports that roughly one in four Florida crashes now involves a driver who flees. More than 200 people have died on Florida roads every year since 2018 as a result of hit-and-runs, the outlet reported, with more than one million such crashes recorded statewide between 2015 and the prior year, causing 2,400 deaths.
Pedestrians and cyclists accounted for the highest number of those fatalities, according to the same report. Notably, most of these crashes don't happen under cover of darkness or bad weather — more than 90% occur in clear weather, and more than 60% happen during the day, per the state data cited by the outlet.
For now, Tampa police have not said whether a suspect has been identified or whether charges are pending. The case remains open as detectives continue piecing together what happened on East 28th Avenue and who got out of that truck and ran.
