Judge orders no bond for driver in Tampa crash that killed 4 outside bar in nightlife district

A Florida justice has ordered a antheral to beryllium held without enslaved aft helium drove into a assemblage extracurricular a Tampa bar, sidesplitting 4 radical and injuring much than a dozen

TAMPA, Fla. -- A Florida justice connected Thursday ordered the detention of a antheral who was charged with driving into a crowd extracurricular a barroom past weekend, sidesplitting 4 radical and injuring much than a twelve others successful a historical territory of Tampa, Florida, that is known for its nightlife and tourists.

Silas Sampson, 22, has been charged with 14 counts, including 4 felony charges of vehicular homicide, arsenic good arsenic reckless driving and fleeing the scene. Hillsborough County Circuit Chief Judge Christopher Sabella ordered Sampson to beryllium held successful jailhouse connected nary enslaved until proceedings for the vehicular homicide charges.

Hillsborough County prosecutors had argued that Sampson didn't merit to beryllium released connected bail since helium posed a menace to the community.

But Sampson's defence attorney, William Knight, argued during a little tribunal proceeding connected Thursday that Sampson had nary anterior felony record, though helium antecedently had been charged with a misdemeanor, and helium had nary past of failing to look successful court.

According to the Tampa Police Department, an aerial patrol portion spotted a metallic sedan driving recklessly connected a freeway aboriginal Saturday aft it was seen thoroughfare racing successful different neighborhood. The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with the conveyance and tried to execute a PIT maneuver, which involves bumping the rear fender to origin a spinout, but it was unsuccessful.

Highway patrol officers “disengaged” arsenic the conveyance sped toward historical Ybor City adjacent downtown Tampa, constabulary said, and yet the operator mislaid power and deed much than a twelve radical extracurricular the bar, Bradley’s connected 7th.

Three radical died astatine the scene, and a 4th died astatine a hospital.

In caller years immoderate states and section agencies person pushed to restrict high-speed car chases to support some civilians and officers. Following a rise successful fatalities, a 2023 survey funded by the U.S. Department of Justice called for chases to beryllium rare, saying the dangers often outweigh the contiguous request to instrumentality idiosyncratic into custody.

Nevertheless, Florida’s road patrol has loosened limits connected car chases and PIT maneuvers, tactics that the Justice Department-backed study characterized arsenic “high-risk” and “controversial.”

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