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Judge Orders No Bond for Driver Accused in Ybor City Crash That Killed 4

Prosecutors pointed to a high‑speed pursuit, surveillance footage, alleged intoxication signs, plus a continuing danger to the community.

Overview

  • Chief Judge Christopher Sabella ruled Thursday that 22-year-old Silas Kenneth Sampson will remain jailed without bond pending trial on vehicular homicide charges.
  • Prosecutors say Sampson faces multiple felonies, including four counts of vehicular homicide, after the Florida Highway Patrol added six counts for fleeing to elude and reckless driving on Wednesday.
  • Court filings state troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, then disengaged about 10 seconds before the car struck a Jeep, jumped the curb, and hit people outside Bradley’s on 7th.
  • Investigators report speeds of 92 to 100 mph; they allege Sampson smelled of alcohol, refused a voluntary blood sample, and was subject to a search‑warrant blood draw after custody statements acknowledging a “mistake.”
  • Four victims were identified as Christina Richards, Lisa Johnson, Sherman Jones, and Marlon Collins, with more than a dozen others injured and one person still in critical condition as of Thursday; police report no indication of a targeted attack.