Three juvenile males, who were speeding down Tampa Rd. in a stolen vehicle, were killed Sunday morning after crashing into a citizen’s car.

  • Three juveniles killed in crash
  • Juveniles speeding in stolen vehicle; crashed into car
  • Deceased had extensive criminal history

The crash occurred around 4 a.m. at the intersection of Tampa Rd. and US 19.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a news conference Sunday morning with details on the fatal crash.

Sheriff Gualtieri said six juvenile males were speeding down Tampa Rd. in two stolen vehicles before one of the vehicles crashed.

The two vehicles, a Chrysler Sebring and Ford Explorer, were stolen on Aug. 3 from Platinum Plus Autos in Clearwater.

The incident started around 1 a.m. Sunday when a deputy spotted the black Ford Explorer and tried to stop it. The stolen vehicle fled and the deputy did not follow, Sheriff Gualtieri said.

Hours later around 4 a.m., another deputy saw the Explorer and Sebring go into the East Lake Woodlands subdivision.

Sheriff Gualtieri said the juveniles have a history of burglarizing vehicles and homes. 

Deputies set up a perimeter searching for the stolen vehicles and later spotted them speeding westbound down Tampa Rd. playing a “cat and mouse” game.

Gualtieri said the sheriff's office does not pursue stolen vehicles and the deputies turned around before the crash occurred.

The Explorer was speeding over 100 mph when it crashed into a citizen’s car at the intersection of US 19, the sheriff said.

The Explorer went airborne and smashed into the car lot and hit a billboard before in rolled down the road and burst into flames.

Three of the juveniles in the car were killed. A fourth male was transported to Bayfront Medical Center.

The Sebring was not involved in the crash and fled towards Sunset Point and Keene Rd., Gualtieri said, where the two juvenile males in the vehicle fled on foot. They were caught and taken into custody.

Sheriff Gualtieri said the three deceased black males had extensive criminal histories. One was just released from jail on July 31.

He also mentioned in the news conference that one deceased male was still wearing the gloves used for car burglaries. Gualtieri also said there were dozens of cell phones found in the vehicle. 

Sheriff Gualtieri said charges are expected against the two males in custody and the one in the hospital. 

Gualtieri said law enforcement is doing everything they can to curb this kind of behavior.

“This is a sad situation…and it’s gotta stop,” he said.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.