BY MIRABEL ODETA
A woman who suffered serious injuries when a vehicle crashed into a crowd outside an Ybor City nightclub last year has filed a lawsuit against the driver, the nightclub and government agencies connected to the police pursuit that preceded the deadly collision.
Kilani England was among more than 20 people injured in the Nov. 8, 2025, crash outside Bradley’s on 7th. Four people were killed when a Toyota Camry driven by Silas Sampson veered onto the sidewalk during a police pursuit in the early morning hours.
England filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Hillsborough County, seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
The lawsuit names Sampson, the nightclub and the city of Tampa, as well as the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The government defendants are being sued in connection with the actions and responsibilities surrounding the law enforcement pursuit that ended in the deadly crash.
According to the lawsuit, England was outside the nightclub on its patio shortly before 1 a.m. when the crash occurred.
Investigators said Sampson was fleeing police when he drove at a high rate of speed through the Ybor City entertainment district. The lawsuit alleges that he traveled at more than 90 mph before leaving the roadway and striking people on the sidewalk.
Sampson’s Toyota Camry hit England and pinned her against a wall, according to the lawsuit.
England suffered what her attorneys describe as severe and permanent injuries. The lawsuit says she sustained fractures that required surgery and continues to face impairment, disability, pain and suffering, mental anguish and other consequences related to the crash.
The filing also seeks compensation for medical expenses and the loss of enjoyment of life that England says resulted from her injuries.
Her attorney, Daniel R. Mendez, alleges that Sampson drove in an “erratic, reckless, aggressive, and dangerous manner” during the incident.
The lawsuit alleges that his conduct went beyond ordinary negligence and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of other people in the crowded entertainment district.
Sampson, who was 23 at the time of the crash, faces a DUI manslaughter charge along with numerous other charges related to the pursuit and collision.
Investigators later obtained a blood sample that showed Sampson had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.12, according to authorities. The sample was taken nearly three hours after the crash. Florida law generally presumes a driver is impaired at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.
The lawsuit is the second civil case filed in connection with the crash and comes amid renewed scrutiny of police pursuit policies, particularly when high-speed chases take place in densely populated areas.
The deadly collision brought renewed attention to the risks associated with pursuits in neighborhoods filled with pedestrians, businesses and nightlife venues.
Ybor City is one of Tampa’s busiest entertainment districts, particularly during late-night hours, when large numbers of pedestrians can be found along its sidewalks and outside businesses.
England’s lawsuit argues that responsibility for the harm she suffered extends beyond the driver and includes the circumstances surrounding the pursuit and the entities responsible for the conduct and oversight of the officers involved.
The allegations against the government agencies and other defendants have not been proven in court. The defendants will have an opportunity to respond to the claims as the case moves through the legal system.
For England, the lawsuit seeks compensation for injuries that she says have permanently changed her life.
The crash killed four people and injured more than 20 others, leaving victims and their families to deal with the physical, emotional and financial consequences months after the collision.
The civil case could also add to the broader debate over how police departments should balance the need to apprehend fleeing suspects with the safety of pedestrians and other motorists when pursuits unfold in crowded urban areas.
Original article
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