Carrollwood Man Charged in Fatal I-275 Wrong-Way Crash

Christopher Ponce was released from Tampa General Hospital today only to find himself in the custody of the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 22-year-old Carrollwood resident faces a number of charges in relation to the July 19 wrong-way crash on Interstate 275, just south of the I-4 exit. That crash killed William Brooks Angel, 20, of Wesley Chapel and seriously injured two others.

According to a highway patrol media release, Ponce was arrested around 3:30 today, July 20, after his release from the hospital. He is charged with DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, two counts of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury and two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury. He was transported from the hospital to Hillsborough County’s Orient Road Jail, the release said.

The accident in question took place around 3 a.m. July 19. Ponce was driving his black 2012 Ford Fusion south in the northbound lanes of I-275 when he hit a black 2000 Ford Mustang driven by Angel, who died at the scene.

Angel’s passengers, 22-year old Robert Patrick Newberry of Lutz and 20-year old Jay Davis of Wesley Chapel, were rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital with serious injuries. Ponce was taken to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries of his own. None of those involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, the highway patrol said in an earlier release.

The accident closed down northbound I-275 until 6:45 a.m. July 19.