Driver Dies After High-Speed Chase Near the Tampa International Airport

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on June 20, 2022

After being led on a high-speed chase early last Saturday morning on Interstate 275, authorities with the Florida Highway Patrol operating within St. Petersburg are now tasked with the duty of determining the chain of events that resulted in a collision and the death of a 33-year-old man.

According to preliminary reports from the responding troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol, it was close to 1:15 a.m. on June 18, 2022, when an on-duty officer noticed a 2003 Lexus ES300 being driven in an “erratic” manner along I-275 near Roosevelt Boulevard. As the vehicle approached the vicinity of mile marker 30, the FHP officer attempted to make a routine traffic stop with the motorist believing the driver to be under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. The 33-year-old St. Petersburg resident behind the wheel of the Lexus did not pull over to the side of the road for the officer and instead sped away across the Howard Franklin Bridge toward the Tampa International Airport. The officer gave pursuit.

As the 33-year-old Lexus driver reached an area near the airport, he proceeded to stop his vehicle and let two women out of the car. Troopers said that the driver then intentionally put his car into reverse which caused his Lexus to crash into a patrol car. The St. Petersburg man then fled the scene of the accident in the southbound direction of George J. Bean Parkway. Almost immediately after leaving the crash site, the Lexus slammed into a 46-year-old old man from Riverview driving a Chevy Silverado that was traveling in the northern direction of the road. The force from the collision was so forceful that the Silverado spun out of control before finally coming to a halt after crashing into a guardrail.

Emergency response teams from around St. Petersburg rushed to the scene of the crash and found the 33-year-old St. Petersburg driver suffering from severe life-threatening injuries. He was immediately transported to a local hospital but sadly passed away soon after arrival. The 46-year-old driver from Riverside suffered minor injuries during the incident. It is unclear if he required further medical assistance.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.