Tampa driver accused of hitting, killing man outside Tampa Carrabas restaurant arrested for DUI: TPD

TAMPA, Fla. - One man is dead and another is facing DUI charges following a fatal crash at a Tampa Carrabas restaurant. 

According to the Tampa Police Department, officers were called to the restaurant, located on the 700 block of N. Dale Mabry Highway around 9:40 p.m. to investigate a crash in which a drivers struck a building, causing property damage. 

A man was killed Tuesday night after being hit by a car at Carrabas on Dale Mabry Highway, according to the Tampa Police Department. 

Investigators say witnesses told them that the driver was speeding while driving southbound on N. Dale Mabry Highway before making a sudden lane change, exiting the roadway, and then hitting a power pole. 

Police say the vehicle continued forward and ran over an adult man sleeping near the parking lot before striking the building. The victim died at the scene. 

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The victim may have been homeless, but TPD is still searching for next of kin. 

Exterior image of Carrabas after a deadly vehicle crash. 

"It doesn't matter what they have been through, or how they ended up outside, they still deserve a safe place to be," said Jeremy Freeman of Metropolitan Ministries.

According to TPD, witnesses told investigators that the driver removed a can of an alcoholic beverage from the vehicle before officers arrived. 

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Upon making contact with the driver, police say they noticed visible signs of impairment. Officers say the driver, Angel Manuel Molina, refused to take a breath test, but a medical blood test measured at .187, which is more than twice the legal limit in Florida. 

Angel Manuel Molina mugshot courtesy Tampa Police Department. 

"This was a series of bad decisions," said Joneé Lewis of the Tampa Police Dept. "This driver chose to get behind the wheel and drive drunk. Now, someone's life is gone because of it."

Molina has been charged with DUI manslaughter, driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license (death or serious bodily injury), refusal to submit to testing for DUI with property damage or personal injury. 

Police say Molina’s Florida driver’s license was suspended on December 28, 2021.