Semi-trailer driver crashes into strip club after being thrown out, killing 1

TAMPA, Fla. – One person was killed and two others injured when a man drove the cab of a semi-trailer into a strip club on Aug. 13.

Dylan Fogle, 25, was charged with first-degree murder and other charges. Judge Samantha Ward ordered him held without bail.

“This is an incredibly tragic and completely preventable incident,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “We will work to ensure justice is served for the victims and their families. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the innocent bystanders who witnessed this horrific ordeal.”

At approximately 4:19 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call regarding a collision between a truck and a pedestrian in the parking lot of Emperors Gentleman Club, 5718 E. Adamo Drive.

When officers arrived, they found the truck had crashed into the front area of ​​the building that leads to the entrance. Witnesses reported that the driver had just been thrown out of the club and then came back to drive the truck into a group of people standing at the entrance. The suspect had been “lying in wait” for at least 30 minutes before the person he had been arguing with came out of the club, Tampa police Maj. Patrick Messmer said.

A surveillance video taken outside the Emperors Club on Tuesday morning shows six men fighting outside.

Court documents released last Thursday show that Fogle admitted to being the driver of the truck but claimed the accelerator pedal was stuck.

Witnesses also told police the driver had just been kicked out of the club after complaints of inappropriate behavior. Police say Fogle then went to his semi-truck, where he tried to call a childhood friend six times before finally sending her a farewell text message saying he was going to jail for involuntary manslaughter.

One adult man was killed in the accident and two other men were injured but are expected to survive their injuries.

Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in numerous newspapers, books, and magazines around the world. She currently lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area.