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Tampa Police: Hit-and-run crash leaves one man dead

 
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Published April 14, 2018

TAMPA — Police are looking for a man who sped through a stop sign, hitting a car and killing its driver, then fled on foot early Saturday, they reported.

The crash happened at North 26th Street and East Columbus Drive just after 2 a.m.

Minutes before the crash, police spotted a man erratically driving a rented Jeep Cherokee with the headlights off near North 22nd Street and Seventh Avenue, said Tampa Police spokesman Steve Hegarty.

Officers tried to stop the Jeep, but the driver fled north on North 22nd Street, Hegarty said. Officers suspended the chase, Hegarty said, because department policy allows them to engage in a car chase only under certain circumstances.

Shortly afterward, the Jeep was involved in a crash at North 26th and East Columbus, when the driver ran a stop sign and hit another car, killing its driver, Artemus Leon Holley, 52. Holley was alone in the car.

The Jeep's driver and passenger fled on foot, police said. Officers found the passenger, police said, and are still looking for the driver. The passenger's identity was not released. Detectives are still investigating.

Stay with the Tampa Bay Times for updates.

Contact Jonathan Capriel at 813-225-3141 or jcapriel@tampabay.com. Follow @jonathancapriel.