A speeding car fleeing police slammed into a crowded bar early Saturday, killing four people and injuring 11 in a historic district of Tampa, Florida, that is known for its nightlife and tourists.
An air patrol unit spotted the silver sedan driving recklessly on a freeway at about 12:40 a.m. after it was seen street racing in another neighborhood, the Tampa Police Department said in a statement.
The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with the vehicle and tried to perform a PIT maneuver, which involves bumping the rear fender to cause a spinout, but it was unsuccessful.
Highway patrol officers “disengaged” as the vehicle sped toward historic Ybor City near downtown, police said, and ultimately the driver lost control and hit more than a dozen people outside the bar, Bradley’s on 7th.
Three people died at the scene, and a fourth died at a hospital. As of Saturday afternoon, two people were hospitalized in critical condition, seven were listed as stable and two had been treated and discharged, police said. Additionally there were two people who had only minor injuries and declined treatment at the scene.
“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.
