Driver fleeing from Clearwater traffic stop crashes into building, killing passenger, police say

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A Tampa man is in jail after Clearwater police say he tried to run from officers and wound up crashing his SUV into a medical practice, killing his 28-year-old passenger. 

Pedro Castro was allegedly driving on a suspended license Monday night when police noticed he wasn’t staying in the lanes.

"The driver began swerving, he couldn’t maintain a lane, so the officer thought he was behind an impaired driver," said Clearwater Police Department’s Rob Shaw.

As Castro began swerving across three lanes, the officer said he tried to pull him over. That’s when they say Castro turned the wrong way down a one-way street.

"He goes the wrong way on Chestnut, head-on into traffic," shared Shaw. "We had a witness say he was driving at a high rate of speed, and that the driver swerved to avoid hitting that man head-on, and then lost control, rolling that car into a nearby building."

His female passenger, Sasha Hudtwalcker-Grey, died at the scene.

Castro is now facing vehicular homicide charges, along with fleeing to elude law enforcement causing death, and driving with a license suspended or revoked causing death.

"The bottom line is, he shouldn’t have been even driving in the first place," added Shaw. "When you do that, you’re a danger to yourself, you’re a danger to others. You’re a danger to people don’t even know. Like on Chestnut Street, people he could have hit head-on. You’re a danger to that poor 28-year-old woman who was in the passenger street and was a victim of your ridiculous behavior."

The 36-year-old’s criminal history dates back to 2002 and 2003, when he was sentenced to five years in prison for grand theft, burglary and other charges.

Most recently, he served nearly four years in prison but got out in January of 2019. 

Clearwater Primary Care and Aesthetics gave FOX 13 a tour of the damage Wednesday afternoon. 

"We had just finished remodeling the building, new tile, new walls, crown molding. All sorts of stuff making it look nice for our patients," said owner Eddie Garrido. "That’s all been destroyed."

The owner estimates they’ve lost around $20,000 worth of medications and supplies from the incident.