Ybor City marks one-year anniversary of fatal crash as community and city pursue safety changes

Residents and visitors navigating Seventh Avenue face lower speed limits and new traffic controls intended to reduce vehicle speeds and prevent future collisions.

• •A vigil is scheduled for Sunday evening at Centennial Park in Ybor City to remember the victims of the crash that occurred on November 8, 2025.
• •The crash resulted in four deaths and several injuries after a high-speed vehicle plowed into the outdoor patio at Bradley’s on 7th.
• •The driver, 22-year-old Silas Sampson, faces nearly 60 charges, including fleeing law enforcement at high speed causing serious bodily injury or death.
• •The charge of fleeing to elude law enforcement causing serious bodily injury or death carries a mandatory minimum three-year prison sentence in Florida.
• •The City of Tampa lowered the speed limit on Seventh Avenue from 30 mph to 25 mph.
• •The city added more four-way stops and bollards along the corridor.
• •Roadways were narrowed through the addition of new on-street parking spaces, and rebricking efforts continue to slow down traffic.
• •The Tampa Police Department increased area patrols, reviewed high-speed pursuit policies, and revoked 8 radios previously given to the Florida Highway Patrol.
• •Radio communications are now coordinated through the Tampa Police Department's Communications Department.
• •Safety advocates are utilizing the anniversary vigil to circulate a petition urging the Florida Highway Patrol to restrict when troopers can initiate high-speed chases.