Plant City Man On Pretrial Diversion For DUI Facing Vehicular Homicide Charge In Fatal Crash

A Plant City man is facing vehicular homicide charges on allegations by Florida troopers that he caused a fatal collision while racing another vehicle.

The 18-year-old man was allegedly driving his 2018 Ford Mustang on State Road 60 in the late evening last Monday when troopers say he became engaged in a race with a 33-year-old man driving a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C250.

The pair were allegedly racing in the eastbound lanes, weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed. Witnesses say he nearly struck an uninvolved car immediately before the crash. Investigators say he lost control of the vehicle near Cassels Road, sending the vehicle careening into the victim’s car.

The collision sent both cars into the south shoulder, with the defendant’s car striking an embankment and coming to rest on its roof. The victim’s car spun several times before coming to a stop. First responders arrived to the scene to find the victim already deceased and the defendant severely injured.

The driver of the vehicle the defendant nearly struck identified the defendant, and he was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail later that evening after being arrested at the hospital. The self-employed construction worker is facing charges of unlawful racing on a highway, reckless driving with serious bodily injury, and vehicular homicide. He was denied bond due to already being in a pretrial diversion program for an earlier drunk driving charge.

The Law Offices of Bjorn Brunvand have been representing people charged with capital murder, felony drug charges, drunk driving, government fraud, and white-collar crimes for over a quarter century. Conact our office today to discuss your Tampa Bay-area state or federal charges.