Florida: At least four dead and 11 injured after Tampa traffic accident

A tragic traffic accident early Saturday morning in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa, Fla., resulted in four dead and 11 injured after a speeding vehicle crashed into a crowded area outside a bar.

Police reported that three people died at the scene and a fourth died in the hospital. The driver, identified as Silas Sampson, 22, has been arrested.

A chase that ended in tragedy

According to The Tampa Bay Times, city police said it all started around 12:40 a.m. when a police unit observed a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed on Interstate 275.

"The driver continued to drive recklessly at a high rate of speed and exited the interstate at Doyle Carlton Drive," police said in a news release.

Tampa police, along with Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers, located the vehicle in the area of Palm and Nebraska Avenues. According to a press release cited by The Tampa Bay Times, the patrol then initiated a pursuit.

The driver "continued to drive at a high rate of speed onto Nebraska Avenue, continuing eastbound on 7th Avenue."

"The FHP pulled out as the driver approached 7th Avenue. The driver continued speeding, lost control and crashed into a business, running over a dozen people who were outside," police told TBT.

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw called the incident a "senseless tragedy" and promised justice for the victims.

Both the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol are investigating the case.