Hillsborough deputies: Two dead after car slammed into tree; alcohol suspected to be a factor

Two are dead after a car swerved off the road and ran into a tree in Hillsborough County Saturday night.

According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the driver of a black 2014 Dodge Journey was headed eastbound on Shell Point Road in Ruskin at about 10 p.m. The driver, whom authorities did not name, rode with a passenger.

The Dodge "veered off the roadway" and into a tree, the release said. Both the driver and the passenger were killed by the impact.

Alcohol is suspected to have played a role in the accident, the release said.

Contact Kirby Wilson at kwilson@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8793. Follow @kirbywtweets.