Confirmed: Those Killed By A Tampa Wrong Way Driver Were Using a Ride Share App
Sunday morning’s crash near Tampa International Airport was just the latest case of a wrong-way driver making Florida roadways dangerous. And what we’re learning today makes the incident even more infuriating. Channel 8 reports the wrong-way driver, 30 year old Alexander Bradford Jacobson of Land O’Lakes, was drunk. He wasn’t way over the limit, but the rumors that he had been at Gasparilla were apparently true.
The worst part of this story is what I feared… did really happen. A witness posted to Facebook that the two killed in this accident were an Uber passenger and driver. Turns out that was the case. So 2 law-abiding citizens are dead because of someone being irresponsible. Ride-share drivers work hard and put lots of wear and tear on their vehicles just to earn a few bucks to make ends meet. And at 3am, chances are the passenger that was killed was also celebrating Gasparilla, but did the right thing by hiring a driver to get home. No one ever said life is fair, but this story just sickens me.
Understandably, they are not releasing the names of the victims.
You may not be happy to hear that the judge today did NOT deny Jacobson’s driving rights. Why? Because he had no prior record. She did, however, make a reference to the fact he was wearing Gasparilla beads when this happened. Bail is set at $150,000. Jacobson is looking at charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. He’s still at the Orient Road Jail tonight.
Source: Channel 8