An FHP Trooper, responding to a call for service on April 4, 2026, was traveling westbound on SR-400 in Hillsborough County. Near the 16.5 Milepost, the Trooper observed two vehicles traveling at high speed and overtaking his marked patrol vehicle. The lead vehicle, a silver Toyota Camry, passed the Trooper at speeds near 100 MPH. The Camry overtook a motorcyclist in the outside lane and cut in front of the Trooper to pass. As the Trooper accelerated to perform a traffic stop on the Camry, the second vehicle, a Kia Seltos attempted the same maneuver as the first vehicle. Unsuccessful, the SUV collided with the motorcyclist while adjacent to the patrol car. The rider, a 52-year-old Plant City man, was thrown from the motorcycle, suffered serious injuries, and was transported to an area hospital. Following the collision, the driver of the SUV, Preston Taylor Nascimento, 22, of Apopka, Florida, stopped along the shoulder of the highway and was later arrested by the Trooper for Reckless Driving Involving Serious Bodily Injury.
Anyone with information regarding the silver Toyota Camry or its driver is asked to call *FHP (*347).
