At least four people were killed and 11 others injured in Tampa, Florida, after a speeding driver crashed into a group of people outside a bar early Saturday, police said.
The crash happened shortly after midnight. Police spotted a person driving recklessly on a nearby highway and attempted to pull the car over.
The vehicle, which police said was previously involved in a street race a few miles away, sped off, with police in pursuit.
At one point, police unsuccessfully attempted to stop the car with a PIT manoeuvre, in which police strike a car’s rear at an angle during a pursuit, before disengaging, Sgt Steve Gaskins of the Florida Highway Patrol said at a news conference.
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The driver later lost control of the car, slamming into a group of more than a dozen people outside a bar that local news media identified as Bradley’s on 7th, an LGBTQ+ bar. Police said there was no indication that the bar was intentionally targeted.
“They were out in Ybor, having a good time, expecting to go home safely,” Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw said at a news conference, referring to the neighbourhood where the crash happened. “A careless, reckless driver takes everybody’s lives there in his hands and just ended this night in a situation that’s never going be the same for these individuals.”
Video shared on social media from the crash showed a car on a pavement, its front end crumpled against the exterior of a building.
Three people died at the scene and another died in hospital, police said. Nine others were taken to hospital. One person was in critical condition early Saturday, and the others were stable, police said. Two people with minor injuries declined care at the scene.
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Police said they charged a man, Silas Sampson (22) of Dade City, Florida, with vehicular homicide. Additional charges are expected, Sgt Gaskins said.
Online, people and organisations shared memories of the bar and expressed condolences for the victims and their families.
“Our hearts are heavy,” St Pete Pride, an LGBTQ+ organisation, wrote on social media. “Many of us have shared laughter, love, and unforgettable memories at Bradley’s on 7th, a place that has long been a gathering spot in Tampa’s Ybor City for the LGBTQ+ community.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
