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Pedro Carbajal

Age : 22

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 04/25/2021

Location : 11780 Tampa Gateway Boulevard

City : Seffner

County : Hillsborough

State : Florida

Agency : Florida Highway Patrol

Officer(s) :Sgt. Jason Moore; Trooper Joshua Lugo

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR CHASE: Passenger killed during 111-mph speeding pursuit
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NARRATIVE:
On 04/25/2021 at approximately 1:38 a.m., Pedro Carbajal, 22, was riding in a Hyundai Elantra with his cousin Jennifer Carvajal, 24, his girlfriend Lexcia “Lexi” Gonzalez, 20, and Grady Ramirez, 19, after the group attended a family birthday party. Pedro and Gonzalez had a young son, Julian.
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Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Moore was driving east on Interstate 4 when his radar clocked the westbound Hyundai repeatedly at 111 mph. Moore made a U-turn, activated his emergency lights and siren and accelerated after the Hyundai. About a minute later, near Mango Road, he caught up with the car.
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As Moore approached, Carvajal abruptly turned right onto the shoulder, traveled down a grassy slope and up an embankment, and became airborne. The Hyundai clipped a wire fence, flew into the Gator Ford dealership lot, struck a parked Ford F-250, overturned, and crashed into a concrete light pole and palm tree.
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Pedro and Gonzalez were ejected. Pedro suffered critical injuries and later died. Gonzalez suffered two broken legs. Ramirez suffered incapacitating injuries after being thrown from the front seat into the rear of the vehicle. Carvajal, the only person wearing a seat belt, survived.
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At Tampa General Hospital, Trooper Joshua Lugo reported that Carvajal had slurred speech, glassy eyes, difficulty remaining awake and smelled of alcohol. A hospital blood test measured her blood-alcohol concentration at approximately .10. Investigators also used seat-belt bruising and witness information in identifying her as the driver after she denied driving.
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Carvajal was permanently barred from driving and was still on probation for a 2014 DUI manslaughter conviction in which, at age 16, she drove drunk through a red light and killed 52-year-old Keith Allen Davis. She had served approximately four years of a five-year prison sentence and was released in 2019.
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Pedro's mother, Jazmin Dominguez, attended Carvajal's detention proceedings. Prosecutors told the court that Carvajal had attempted to contact Pedro's family after the crash, and the judge ordered her to have no further contact with the victims or their families. Carvajal was held without bond.
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The criminal case continued for nearly four years. In February 2025, Carvajal pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, three counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, driving with a suspended or revoked license, a second DUI offense and two counts of DUI causing property damage or personal injury.
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On 05/30/2025, Carvajal was sentenced to 67 years in prison. Pedro's relatives gave victim-impact statements describing the lasting effect of his death. The sentence substantially exceeded the prosecution's 33-year recommendation.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
FHP Sgt. Jason Moore was the trooper who clocked the Hyundai at 111 mph, turned around and attempted the traffic stop immediately before the crash.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2021/05/07/at-16-she-drove-drunk-and-killed-a-man-at-24-cops-say-she-did-it-again/
https://www.fox13news.com/news/fhp-tampa-woman-traveling-over-100-mph-charged-with-dui-after-crashing-into-car-dealership-injuring-3
https://www.fox13news.com/news/passenger-dies-after-speeding-car-goes-airborne-crashes-into-car-dealership-tampa-driver-faces-dui-charges
https://www.fox13news.com/news/driver-accused-of-killing-cousin-in-dui-crash-to-remain-in-jail
https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2021/05/10/woman-accused-of-second-fatal-drunk-driving-crash-to-stay-jailed/
https://www.fox13news.com/news/trial-begins-monday-woman-accused-killing-cousin-dui-crash
https://www.fox13news.com/news/driver-deadly-dui-crash-killed-cousin-be-sentenced-friday
https://www.tampabay28.com/news/region-hillsborough/fhp-tampa-woman-driving-111-mph-crashes-into-car-dealership-injures-3-passengers