Man faces homicide charges in crash that kills boy, injures 5

A man who crashed into a minivan in Tampa on Tuesday night, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring five of his family members, faces vehicular homicide charges, Tampa police said.

An officer saw D’Angelo Howard, 28, of Tampa, driving recklessly near Nebraska Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard around 10:45 p.m., according to a release from the Tampa Police Department.

The officer tried to pull Howard over but he sped away and the officer stopped pursuing him due to safety concerns, police said.

Howard sped north on Florida Avenue in his Jeep Commander and ran a red light at Hillsborough Avenue, crashing into the side of an eastbound Honda Odyssey, police said.

David Martinez, of Orlando, was thrown from the minivan and died at the scene, police said. The boy’s sister Veronica Martinez, father Alber Martinez, grandmother Irma Martinez and grandfather Ernesto Martinez were hospitalize and were listed in stable condition, police said. The boy’s cousin Natalie Loya was in critical condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital, police said.

Howard was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital before being arrested, police said.

Detectives are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine whether Howard will face additional charges, police said.