Four people were arrested after a car fled a traffic stop on Gibsonton Drive near Interstate 75 in Hillsborough County, Florida, crashed through a guardrail into a construction zone and hit an embankment near I-75 and northbound U.S. Highway 301 — while, in a separate collision during the same incident, a sheriff's corporal sitting in her patrol vehicle with its emergency lights on was struck from behind on I-75. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) released the full account on Tuesday, October 27, eight days after the October 19 incident.
Deputies say the incident began at 10:05 p.m. on Monday, October 19, when they tried to stop a vehicle for failing to maintain its lane on Gibsonton Drive near I-75, in the Gibsonton area south of Tampa. The driver did not stop and fled at a high rate of speed, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies maintained visual contact as the car travelled on multiple roadways across Hillsborough County, and the HCSO Aviation Unit joined in to track the vehicle from the air.
From above, the Aviation Unit saw the car travel outside a guardrail and enter a construction zone. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle crashed into an embankment near the junction of I-75 and U.S. Highway 301, the sheriff's office said. No injuries from that crash were reported in the accounts released on Tuesday.
Deputies detained the driver, identified as Leo Gradley III, 29, and a passenger, Angel Pribble, 27, a short distance from the crash scene. Two other passengers — Jasmine Likely, 36, and Andrew Hopson, 33 — were detained at the scene itself. All four were arrested. The charges described below are allegations; none of the four has been convicted in this case.
A second crash on I-75: a corporal hit from behind
During the same incident, Corporal Niomi Bruce, 30, was seated in her patrol vehicle on northbound I-75 with its emergency lights activated when another vehicle travelling north struck the patrol vehicle from behind, the sheriff's office said. Bruce was taken to Tampa General Hospital and was released on October 20, the day after the incident. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated that second crash, and the other driver was cited for careless driving, according to the sheriff's office account reported by Brandon Dispatch.
"We are incredibly thankful she's back home with her family, because we know this could have been so much worse. Florida's Move Over law exists to protect the men and women who keep our roads safe, and it only takes a moment to follow it. When you see flashing lights, slow down and move over. It could save a life."
The driver's record: a licence already revoked for fleeing
Investigators determined that Gradley's driver's licence had been revoked since July 18, 2024, following a previous charge of fleeing to elude law enforcement in neighbouring Manatee County, the sheriff's office said. Deputies also reported finding a bag containing crushed diazepam pills inside the fleeing vehicle. Diazepam is a prescription sedative; its possession without authorisation is treated as a controlled-substance offence in the charges listed below.
The charges, person by person
According to the sheriff's office, Gradley faces six charges: fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer; driving with a cancelled, suspended or revoked licence; possession of a controlled substance; leaving the scene of a crash with property damage; resisting an officer without violence; and trespassing on a construction site. Pribble faces charges of trespassing on a construction site, possession of a controlled substance and resisting an officer without violence. Likely faces possession of a controlled substance and trespassing on a construction site. Hopson faces possession of a controlled substance, trespassing on a construction site and possession of drug paraphernalia.
"Fleeing from law enforcement puts every driver on the road at risk, and this suspect had already lost his license for doing exactly that," Sheriff Chronister said. "Thanks to our deputies and Aviation Unit, all four suspects are now being held accountable. If you run from our deputies, we will find you." The sheriff's office says its investigation remains ongoing, so further details — including court dates — are expected through the Hillsborough County court process. For drivers on I-75, one of Florida's main north–south freight and commuter corridors through the Tampa Bay region, the case is a double reminder of the risks the sheriff's office highlighted: a fleeing vehicle crossing into a construction zone, and a stopped patrol vehicle with its lights on still being hit from behind.