Uber Driver, Passenger Die In Skyway Bridge Crash With Car Thief: FHP

FLORIDA — A fatal wrong-way crash caused by a South Florida man who stole a Ford Mustang killed an Uber driver and a passenger on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Tuesday night, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release.

When Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies tried to stop the stolen car, the driver rammed into a patrol vehicle and sped south on I-275. The HCSO aerial unit followed the Mustang and provided updates on its location.

A state trooper called in to help tried to stop the car when it reached the Skyway Bridge and the Mustang hit the FHP vehicle. The driver continued south to the top of the bridge, turned around, and then rammed the trooper’s vehicle before speeding away, traveling north in the I-275 southbound lanes, the agency said.

At the 13 mile marker, near the northern rest area, the Mustang collided head-on with a Dodge Caravan with four occupants.

The crash killed the other car’s driver, who was working for Uber at the time, and one of his passengers, FHP said.

The other two passengers, as well as the driver of the Mustang, Leosvany Arias Roman, 22, suffered serious injuries and were brought to area hospitals.

The 27-year-old trooper, a two year veteran with FHP, suffered minor injuries and was also brought to a nearby hospital.

Roman, who is from Hialeah, was charged with felony murder, vehicular homicide, aggravated fleeing and eluding involving death, driving while license suspended involving death, and battery on a law enforcement officer, FHP said.

The crash closed the southbound lanes of I-275 overnight. They reopened around 6:40 a.m.