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College football star Adarius Hayes, 21, has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide after a horrific crash that killed three, including two children, in May.
Jabari Elijah Solomon, 10, and Charlie Herbert Solomon Riveria, 4, were both killed in the terrible collision on May 10 in Largo, Florida.
They were passengers in the back seat of the Kia Soul which was struck by Hayes' Dodge Durango. The driver of the Kia, 78-year-old Gail Price, died from her injuries later in hospital. A fourth passenger in the Kia, Herbert Riveria, managed to survive.
The Largo Police Department had issued an arrest warrant for Hayes, a sophomore linebacker with the Miami Hurricanes.
Hayes, who is also facing one count of Reckless Driving with Serious Bodily Injury, turned himself in on Friday and was transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
An investigation carried out by the Largo Police Department found that five seconds before the crash, Hayes made a dangerous maneuver and crossed three lanes of traffic while overtaking other cars.
College football star Adarius Hayes has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide
His Dodge Durango collided with a Kia Soul as the latter turned left at an intersection
Several others were hospitalized with 'serious injuries' in the collision in Largo, Florida
He then abruptly moved back over to the curb lane, crossing all three lanes again without signaling. It was at that point that his car smashes into the Kia Soul, which was legally performing a left turn.
Police found that Hayes was traveling 70.8mph just before the impact and reached 78.9mph in a 40mph area at the time of the collision.
Alcohol is not thought to have played a role in the crash, with police telling the Miami Herald at the time that 'there were no signs of impairment with either driver'.
Hayes, who was 'distraught' after the fatal crash, was taken to the hospital but his injuries were described as non-life threatening and he was later released.
Pictures from the scene showed serious damage to the Durango's front end, while parts of the green Kia were strewn across the road. The car itself appeared to be on the sidewalk, facing the wrong direction.
A witness, who claimed to have been the 'first one' on the scene after the crash, said the tragedy occurred on a road where cars often race at speeds of up to 80mph.
'When it happened, I was the first one out here. And immediately I started calling for somebody call 911 because there was a child,' they told WFLA.
'This all happened because these people hot rod on this road all the time. They come down here and they’re racing their car or they’re speeding, come through here at 60, 70, 80 miles an hour even, and many times we call the police. Not much changes.'
As reported by the Miami Herald, Hayes was slapped with several fines over the past couple of years - including over another crash when he 'collided' with a vehicle.
The 21-year-old Hayes is a linebacker with the University of Miami Hurricanes
Hayes was reportedly 'distraught' after the crash, which took place in his hometown of Largo
On March 1, he was given a ticket for going 84mph in a 55mph zone in Clearwater - just a few miles from May's fatal crash.
Hayes paid a fine of $249.50, which was cut by $31.50 after he undertook a driving course. In November 2024, meanwhile, he paid a fine of $166 after being accused of 'pulling out in front of a vehicle going the same direction'.
Hayes was slapped with the same fine over another improper lane charge - this time in Largo - back in November 2023.
The linebacker briefly had his license suspended in May 2023 after a crash in February of that year.
He was reportedly given a ticket for 'failure to use care' after he 'operated the vehicle inattentively and unaware of surroundings, collided into (a) vehicle.'
His license was suspended on May 12, 2023, after he failed to complete a driving school in March. It was reinstated two weeks later after he paid a $207 fine.
