Disturbing footage has emerged showing the moment a street racer fleeing police crashed into a gay bar in Florida, killing four people and injuring others.
Police shared the footage which they said showed Silas Sampson, 22, driving recklessly before he careered into Bradley’s bar in Tampa on Friday night.
The terrifying clip shows two cars racing down a nearby highway at breakneck speeds.
The overhead footage continued with both vehicles attempting to overtake each other, as they zoomed dangerously fast.
One of the cars, which police said Sampson was behind the wheel of, breaks away as he loses complete control.
Terrified pedestrians can be seen running for safety as the silver Toyota barrels through an intersection and hitting more than a dozen people on the patio of the bar.
Three were pronounced dead on the scene and another later died at the hospital because of their injuries.
At least 11 were injured, with one listed in critical condition, Tampa police said.
Terrified pedestrians can be seen running for safety as the silver Toyota barrels through an intersection and hitting more than a dozen people on the patio of the bar
Tampa police said Sampson was traveling ‘at a high rate of speed and lost control’ when he crashed into Bradley’s
Sampson was detained by police and charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing to elude serious bodily injury or death, per Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office records.
The 22-year-old, seen here, was detained by police and charged with four counts of vehicular homicide
As of Saturday night, he was being held at the Falkenburg Road Jail.
‘What happened this morning was a senseless tragedy, our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims and all those who were impacted,’ Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw said at a press conference.
‘Reckless driving put innocent lives in danger.’
Police first picked up on Sampson’s alleged bad driving when he started heading toward Interstate 275 around 12.40am.
His car had initially been noticed street racing on Hillsborough Avenue near 22nd Street by the Tampa police’s air unit before getting on the highway alone.
Sampson eventually entered downtown Tampa, where police attempted to stop the young driver with a PIT maneuver.
A PIT maneuver is when police tactically make contact with a car to force it to stop and spin.
However, Sampson evaded law enforcement’s attempt to deter him and barreled towards 7th Avenue.
Police first picked up on Sampson’s alleged bad driving when he started heading toward Interstate 275 around 12.40am
The front of the car was seen smashed as it was loaded onto a tow truck
Tampa police said Sampson was traveling ‘at a high rate of speed and lost control’ when he crashed into Bradley’s.
The owners of the bar said their ‘hearts are broken’ after the crash. Bradley’s confirmed their co–host Esme Russell was safe, but ‘shaken’ by the experience.
‘This tragedy has struck at the heart of Tampa’s LGBTQ+ community,’ the bar said in a statement.
‘Bradley’s on 7th is more than just a nightclub, it is a sanctuary, a space of celebration, love, and chosen family for countless people across Tampa Bay.
‘Today, we mourn with our friends at Bradley’s, the victims’ families, and everyone affected by this senseless act.’
Nate Crosby was one of the people injured from the crash and taken to the hospital.
He wrote on Facebook from his hospital bed: ‘I’m grateful my injuries will heal with time.
‘My deepest condolences to the families and friends whose loved ones have passed.’
