Deadly Ybor crash: Suspect accused of killing 4 to remain behind bars until trial

Ybor City crash suspect appears in court

Silas Kenneth Sampson, 22, will remain in jail while he awaits trial for the deadly crash that killed four people and injured more than a dozen others outside Bradley’s on 7th Avenue in Ybor City. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

YBOR CITY, Fla. - Silas Kenneth Sampson, 22, will remain in jail while he awaits trial for the deadly crash that killed four people and injured more than a dozen others outside Bradley’s on 7th Avenue in Ybor City.

On Thursday, a judge ordered that he be held without bond on four counts of vehicular homicide.

The backstory:

According to a newly filed motion for pretrial detention, Florida Highway Patrol troopers first spotted a silver Toyota Camry driven by Sampson around 12:39 a.m. on November 8, speeding south on I-275. When troopers tried to stop the car near Nebraska Avenue, Sampson fled, reaching speeds of 92 to 100 mph as he turned onto Seventh Avenue.

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Troopers ended the chase just 10 seconds before the crash, citing heavy pedestrian traffic in Ybor City. Surveillance video then captured the car striking a Jeep, bouncing onto the sidewalk, and slamming into people standing between The Copper Shaker and Bradley’s on 7th.

The motion states that at least a dozen people were hit. Video showed "two individuals flying through the air, with one hitting the ceiling, another colliding with a wall" before the car came to rest inside the outdoor patio area.

Dig deeper:

During the pre-trial detention hearing, the state noted a speeding citation Sampson received a couple of months before this crash.

"The defendant's driving record indicates that several months before this incident, the defendant was charged with speeding, doing 90 in a 70," Justin Diaz, a prosecutor with the state attorney's office said.

The state asked the judge for a $100,000 bond on each of several charges for reckless driving with serious bodily injury and fleeing to elude at a high speed with serious bodily injury or death.

"That's a concern of the state, given the fact that he's alleged to have been doing in excess of 90 miles an hour in this case down 7th Avenue," Diaz said. "So, he's again driving somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 miles or higher twice this year already."

The defense said Sampson has one prior misdemeanor charge out of Pasco County, but no felony record. He also noted Sampson's family sitting behind him in the courtroom.

"Given that he's going to be held without bond on the other charges, a bond that high seems a bit along the lines of excessive," Sampson's attorney, Will Knight said. "And so to that end, we'd ask for something in the neighborhood of anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per count."

The judge gave Sampson a $100,000 bond on each of six charges, however, he's still being held without bond on the charges of vehicular homicide.

‘Continuing danger to the community’

What they're saying:

The filing describes Sampson as a "continuing danger to the community" and says there are no conditions of release that could protect the public.

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Investigators say Sampson smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and refused to provide a voluntary blood sample, prompting officers to obtain a search warrant for a blood draw. In custody, Sampson allegedly said he "made a mistake," asked "how many people did I kill," and told officers to "just get me to jail."

Deadly Ybor crash victims

Four people were killed: Lisa Johnson, 41, of Winter Haven; Marlon Collins, 49, of Bartow; Sherman Jones, 53, of Tampa; and Kristina Richards, 25, of Ohio.

Thirteen others were injured, including one person still in critical condition.

What's next:

Florida Highway Patrol says there could still be additional charges.