Early morning crash kills 1

Witnesses said a police pursuit ended when a truck hauling plates of glass struck this SUV at the intersection of E Columbus Drive and N 40th Street. [Times photo: Casey Cora]

TAMPA -- A 47-year-old man was killed following a two-car crash after a police pursuit involving several squad cars and a Tampa Police helicopter.

The pursuit began at 3:59 a.m. when an officer noticed a man who appeared to be breaking a 7-Eleven store at W Columbus Drive and N Himes Avenue. 

When the officer circled the store, a white Chevrolet Suburban drove away, steering into a neighborhood where the driver, Aaron Higginbotham, ran a stop sign, police said.

The officer then followed the truck onto Intertstate 275 and eventually on E Columbus Drive.  At one point, police said, Higginbotham turned off the SUV's headlights.

A police helicopter patrolling the area quickly zeroed in on the SUV. Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said additional cruisers joined in the pursuit, but did not know how many.

McElroy hesitated the classify the pursuit as a "chase," saying that "officers were able to follow at a safe distance," and adding "they don't have their lights on, they don't have their sirens on."

Once he reached E Columbus Drive, police said Higginbotham accelerated through a red light at the N 40th Street intersection, slamming into a Westshore Glass Corp. truck headed south.

The impact left thousands of glass shards in N 40th Street's southbound lanes.  The northbound lanes were littered with dozens of parts of the mangled SUV.

Higginbotham was ejected. He was transported to Tampa General Hospital  where he was later pronounced dead.

The driver of the glass truck, William Parks Jr., 72, of Tampa, remains in stable condition at Tampa General Hospital.

Police said the SUV's owner had contacted authorities to report the driver had not paid for the vehicle after entering into a "purchase agreement." McElroy said the SUV's driver had been previously arrested at least six times on felony charges.

Please return to tampabay.com for updates as they become available

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

[Booking photo of Aaron G. Higginbotham courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office]

Comments

[James]

The driver and glass truck is from the company I work for. I am not an official spokesperson for the company so I really can say anything except the driver involved was hurt pretty badly but surviving.

[James]

I meant I can’t say anything. Wish I could edit these Comments after they get posted.

[Senor]

Was the driver of the stolen suburban that was trying to rob the 7-Eleven a descendent of slaves?

No the driver was your father Senor

[Tom]

At least the bad guy died for a change.

I LOVE it when the bad guy dies. Wish it happened just a little more often. Too bad he didn't have the good sense to do himself in before he hurt someone else though.