Tampa Hit-and-Run Crash Suspect Arrested After Deadly Collision

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 11, 2021

According to public arrest records in Hillsborough County, a 51-year-old man has been apprehended and taken into custody for his alleged connection to a deadly hit-and-run collision over the weekend which claimed the life of a pedestrian near the intersection of East Robson Street and North Nebraska Avenue in Tampa.

Early accident reports from the responding officers with the Tampa Police Department in Hillsborough County indicate that it was close to midnight last Saturday evening that 51-year-old Stephen Patterson was driving his black and green two-door pickup truck along North Nebraska Avenue, approaching East Robson Street. As the pickup truck pulled up to the intersection, Patterson turned his vehicle onto East Robson Street and struck a yet-to-be-named pedestrian in the process of doing so.

After his initial collision with the pedestrian, Patterson exited his pickup and, instead of calling the police or helping the severely injured individual, he proceeded to drag the victim’s body out from underneath the truck and place them on the side of the road. He then got back into his vehicle and quickly sped away from the scene in the western direction of East Robson Street. Emergency response teams arrived at the scene and quickly transported the badly injured pedestrian to a local hospital, however, the victim was unable to survive the severity of their injuries and they passed away.

All of this shocking information was captured on video by a camera that thankfully picked up footage of those crucial moments before and after the collision. This evidence was key to helping the Tampa Police Department with their identification of the alleged suspect’s pickup truck.

Approximately two days after the fatal auto accident occurred, authorities received a tip regarding the whereabouts of Patterson’s pickup truck and were finally able to speak with the suspect, who confessed shortly after he was confronted by Tampa detectives. Stephen Patterson now faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash with death and DWLS with death.

Since 1977, Tampa auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham has been diligently representing victims who have been seriously injured or killed in pedestrian collisions and hit-and-run accidents. For additional information, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation.

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.