HCSO Corporal Injured in I-75 Crash After High-Speed Pursuit

A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office corporal was injured in a collision on Interstate 75 during a pursuit that ended near U.S. Highway 301. The incident occurred on Oct. 19 at 10:05 p.m., when deputies attempted to stop a vehicle on Gibsonton Drive for failing to maintain its lane. The driver did not stop and fled at high speed, prompting a chase through multiple Hillsborough County roads. The HCSO Aviation Unit joined the effort and tracked the vehicle as it left the roadway, crossed a guardrail, and entered a construction zone. The pursuit concluded when the vehicle crashed into an embankment near the I-75 and U.S. Highway 301 interchange.

Cpl. Niomi Bruce, 30, was sitting in her patrol car with emergency lights active when a car traveling north on I-75 struck her vehicle from behind. Bruce was transported to Tampa General Hospital and was discharged on Oct. 20. Sheriff Chad Chronister said he was thankful she was back home with her family. He noted that Florida's Move Over law is designed to protect officers and urged drivers to slow down and change lanes when they see flashing lights.

Deputies detained the driver, Leo Gradley III, 29, and passenger Angel Pribble, 27, shortly after the crash. Two other passengers, Jasmine Likely, 36, and Andrew Hopson, 33, were also detained at the scene. Investigators found that Gradley’s driver’s license had been revoked since July 18, 2024, after a prior charge of fleeing from law enforcement in Manatee County. A bag containing crushed diazepam pills was also found in the vehicle. All four individuals were arrested.

Gradley faces charges for fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, driving with a revoked license, possession of a controlled substance, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, resisting an officer without violence, and trespassing on a construction site. Pribble is charged with trespassing on a construction site, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting an officer without violence. Likely faces charges for possession of a controlled substance and trespassing on a construction site. Hopson is charged with possession of a controlled substance, trespassing on a construction site, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Chronister stated that fleeing from law enforcement puts every driver at risk, especially for a suspect with a prior similar charge. He said the deputies and Aviation Unit ensured the suspects are being held accountable and warned that the department will find drivers who run from officers.