TAMPA, Fla. — Kimberly Maus is counting her blessings. She's in Tampa while her daughter, Riley, recovers in the hospital.
Riley was one of the people hit by a car while enjoying a night out in Ybor City.
Silas Sampson returned to the courtroom on Wednesday. He faced another firestorm appearance, this time for new charges.
Riley Hancock suffered extensive injuries, including 10 spinal fractures, six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver, and a severe head laceration requiring more than 100 stitches and staples. Her mother, Kimberly Maus, has been by her side at Tampa General Hospital throughout her recovery.
"She has 10 fractures in her spine, six broken ribs, collapsed lung, lacerated liver, a very huge laceration that starts up here and it comes down around here and around the back of her head," Kimberly Maus said. "It took plastic surgery three hours just to suture that up."
Hancock also sustained injuries to her right ankle and shoulder, with a broken scapula adding to her list of injuries. She will need to wear a neck-to-torso brace for at least six weeks as part of her recovery.
Kimberly Maus learned about the crash through a middle-of-the-night phone call while she and her husband were visiting Chicago. After receiving multiple missed calls and voicemails from Brandon, she spent two and a half hours calling hospitals and police stations before confirming Hancock was alive and in the ICU.
"I finally spoke with a nurse in the ICU, and they were able to confirm that she was in the ICU and she was alive," Maus said. "At that point, I was able to take a breath."
The incident adds another traumatic experience for Connor and Brandon, who previously survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
"Connor and Brandon had both been through the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and it's like, oh my God, and how this and these kids, and they're good kids. They really are," Maus said. "And they were so responsible. They Ubered. They were just sitting there, just having a night out, not doing anything wrong."
Maus tells us her Godson, Connor, remains in the hospital as well.
"He's hanging in there. He's hanging in there. Not much of a change for Conor. So we're praying," she said.
According to court documents filed by prosecutors, the deadly crash began around 12:39 a.m. when a Tampa Police Department aviation unit spotted Sampson's silver 2019 Toyota Camry driving recklessly on Interstate 275. The aircraft recorded video of the vehicle as it traveled erratically through Tampa streets.
Police communications captured on video show the aviation unit informing patrol officers that the suspect vehicle was "street racing on the highway" at 12:44 a.m.
When Florida Highway Patrol Trooper A. Carrasco attempted a traffic stop with lights and sirens activated, Sampson fled at high speed eastbound on Seventh Avenue. Carrasco pursued the vehicle and attempted an unsuccessful precision immobilization technique near Henderson Avenue.
The trooper terminated the high-speed chase at Nuccio Parkway due to heavy pedestrian traffic ahead on Seventh Avenue, but surveillance cameras continued tracking the fleeing vehicle.
At 12:46 a.m., as Sampson's vehicle approached the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 15th Street, a light-colored Jeep made a left turn in front of him. Court documents state Sampson swerved into oncoming traffic, struck a westbound Mazda, then drove onto the sidewalk in front of The Copper Shaker at 1502 East Seventh Avenue.
Hancock was with her two close friends, Connor and Brandon Dietrich, and other companions when the crash occurred. They were sitting on the patio at Bradley's on 7th, having drinks when the incident happened. None of the victims remembers the actual crash.
"I asked Riley if she was able to remember anything, and she said she remembers being inside, and then she remembers waking up in the hospital," Maus said.
Multiple pedestrians were walking on the sidewalk when Sampson's vehicle struck several people, hurling their bodies toward Bradley's outdoor seating area at 1510 East Seventh Avenue. The vehicle then crashed into an exterior pillar and came to rest inside Bradley's outdoor area.
Surveillance video from Bradley's captured the vehicle striking approximately a dozen seated patrons. The footage shows at least two people flying through the air, with one hitting the ceiling of the outdoor seating area and another colliding with the restaurant's exterior wall.
Tampa Police officers L. Shannon and B. Peacock arrived within seconds of the crash and observed Sampson exiting the driver's seat. When officers attempted to detain him, Sampson tried to flee but was arrested by multiple officers.
Police found the vehicle's key in Sampson's pocket during a search incident to arrest. Law enforcement later confirmed Sampson is the registered owner of the Toyota Camry.
While in custody, Sampson made spontaneous statements including admitting he "made a mistake," asking how many people he killed, and saying "just get me to the jail" so he could "go and sit for a few months," according to court documents.
Officers noted multiple indicators of potential impairment, including an odor of alcohol, slurred speech, unsteadiness, and bloodshot, watery eyes. When law enforcement requested a voluntary blood sample, Sampson refused.
Police subsequently obtained a search warrant and collected a blood sample, which is currently pending analysis.
Hancock is receiving treatment on the trauma floor of Tampa General Hospital. Maus praised the medical staff for their exceptional care.
"I can't say enough wonderful things about Tampa General," she said. "This hospital is fantastic. The ICU was amazing. They took such great care."
Dr. Jose Diaz, Trauma Medical Director at Tampa General Hospital, explained the hospital's Level 1 trauma center designation and rapid response capabilities. As both a State of Florida and American College of Surgeons-designated Level 1 trauma center, the hospital maintains 24/7 readiness with specialized staff, equipment, and resources.
"When we get notified by our EMS partners that a patient is a trauma alert after being in an injury, then that triggers all those resources within the hospital to be prepared," Diaz said.
The hospital follows the "golden hour" principle of trauma care, emphasizing the critical importance of getting patients proper treatment within one hour of injury.
"Within an hour of a patient having an injury, getting them to the right place and starting whether it's resuscitation with IV fluids or blood products, or getting an artificial airway to help support somebody's breathing," Diaz explained.
To be a Level 1 trauma center requires significant investment from the hospital in organizing all necessary resources, from designated emergency department areas to operating rooms, blood bank coordination, and ICU bed availability.
"We prepare, we recruit, we hire, for the explicit purpose of being prepared," Diaz said.
Hancock is working with physical and occupational therapists as she begins her recovery journey, which will include relearning to walk. Her mother describes taking each day as it comes, celebrating small victories.
"Every day, we have small victories, and we're just thanking God that she's alive right now," Maus said. "She's been up PT and OT are wonderful. They're working with her. She's in a brace that is here, and it comes up and it holds her neck. And they said at least six weeks she's going to have to be in that brace 24/7, so we're right now. We're getting used to a new normal, but we'll be all right."
The family has received overwhelming support during their stay in Tampa, despite being far from their South Florida home.
"To come into a city that I don't live in, and to be taken care of like this, we're very, very grateful," Maus said. "They're truly taking care of her, like she's one of their own. So it's comforting."
Maus reflected on the tragedy with gratitude for her daughter's survival, especially given her previous loss of another daughter several years ago.
"I just can't say enough how much we're just thankful to God that they all came out of this alive, because it could have been a lot worse," she said.
Sampson remains in custody pending Thursday's pretrial detention hearing at 9:30 a.m.
The blood sample collected from Sampson under a search warrant is currently pending analysis, which could provide crucial evidence regarding impairment at the time of the crash.
As Hancock continues her long road to recovery, her mother remains focused on the positive aspects of their situation while acknowledging the challenges ahead.
"We'll be here with her every step of the way," Maus said. "She has a lot of love. And I really, I just can't say enough how much we're just thankful to God that they all came out of this alive."
You can find Riley Hancock's recovery GoFundMe here.
You can find Connor Dietrich's GoFundMe here.
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