ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A rideshare driver and one of his passengers were killed after a wrong-way driver collided head-on with the van Wednesday night on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The crash resulted in the southbound lanes of Interstate 275 being shut down overnight. The roadway finally fully reopened around 6:40 a.m. Thursday.
It all started just before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Hillsborough County, FHP said. Troopers say they were called to assist the sheriff's office in trying to stop the driver of a stolen Ford Mustang. Leosvany Roman, a 22-year-old from Hialeah, Florida, had just reportedly rammed an HCSO patrol car before speeding away southbound on I-275.
The chase, monitored by an HCSO aerial unit, continued southbound to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. An FHP trooper tried to stop Roman when they reached the bridge, but Roman hit the trooper's car, continued southbound to the top of the bridge, then turned around and rammed the trooper's car again before speeding the wrong way back down the southbound lanes.
As Roman continued speeding down I-275, the stolen Mustang he was driving collided head-on with a rideshare near the northern rest area, according to FHP.
The rideshare driver, a 33-year-old from Bradenton, died as a result. One of his three passengers, a 52-year-old man also died in the crash. The other two passengers, a 51-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man suffered serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital.
All three rideshare passengers were from Columbiana, Ohio, FHP said.
Roman also suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to the hospital, as well. He faces multiple charges including felony murder, vehicular homicide, aggravated fleeing and eluding involving death, driving while license suspended involving death and battery on a law enforcement officer.
The trooper Roman rammed into, a 27-year-old who's been with the FHP for two years, had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Editor's note: The Florida Highway Patrol earlier said the rideshare driver was working with Uber. In a statement, Uber said this crash "does not appear to be connected to the Uber platform. We do not have any trips that align with the details."