PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Three people, including a rideshare driver and two passengers, were killed, and others were seriously injured during a crash near the Skyway Bridge Wednesday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said troopers responded to a call for assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office about a stolen Ford Mustang they attempted to stop.
FHP said the driver of the Mustang, Leosvany Arias Roman, 22, crashed into an HCSO patrol vehicle before fleeing south on I-275 at a high rate of speed.
According to a complaint/arrest affidavit for the incident, troopers "provided speeds for the white Mustang, in excess of 140 miles per hour."
When Roman got to the Skyway Bridge, FHP said a trooper attempted to stop the Mustang, but the driver collided with the FHP vehicle, continued to the top of the bridge, turned around, and rammed the FHP car before going the wrong way on 275.
The agency said the stolen Mustang then crashed head-on into a Dodge Caravan with four people inside near the northern rest area.
The Caravan's driver, 33, who FHP said was working as a rideshare driver, and two of its passengers, a 52-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman, passed away from their injuries. The one remaining passenger, 24, and Roman suffered serious injuries and were taken to local hospitals.
The three passengers were from Ohio.
The trooper, 27, sustained minor injuries and was also taken to a local hospital.
An investigation of the crash closed the southbound lanes of I-275 until 6:40 a.m.
Roman is being charged with felony murder, vehicular homicide, aggravated fleeing & eluding involving death, driving while license suspended involving death, and battery on a law enforcement officer.
