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Oregon man accused of DUI, running red light in deadly Gibsonton crash: FHP

By
FOX 13 News
Hillsborough County
Published October 13, 2026 10:38 AM EDT
Published October 13, 2026 10:38 AM EDT
article

Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol

The Brief

    • A 54-year-old Gibsonton man died following a two-vehicle crash early Saturday morning at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Gibsonton Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
    • Troopers said an Oregon driver ran a red light and crashed into the victim's SUV.
    • Law enforcement officers arrested 21-year-old Pablo Mendez-Leyva on charges including DUI manslaughter and driving without a license resulting in death.

GIBSONTON, Fla. - A 54-year-old Gibsonton man died after a crash involving a pickup truck and an SUV early Saturday morning, and the other driver was later arrested on charges including DUI manslaughter, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Gibsonton deadly crash investigation 

The backstory:

Troopers say the crash happened around 3:45 a.m. on Oct. 10 at the intersection of Gibsonton Drive and U.S. 41.

A Ford pickup driven by Pablo Mendez-Leyva, 21, of Oregon, was traveling westbound on Gibsonton Drive when it entered the intersection after running a red light, FHP said.

The pickup crashed with a Cadillac SUV traveling northbound on U.S. 41. The SUV was driven by a 54-year-old man from Gibsonton.

Both drivers were injured and taken to hospitals in the area for treatment. The SUV driver later died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to FHP.

Driver DUI manslaughter arrest

What's next:

Troopers later arrested Mendez-Leyva and took him to the Orient Road Jail in Tampa. He faces charges of DUI manslaughter and driving without a license resulting in death, according to FHP.

The Source: The information in this story was provided by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Hillsborough CountyCrime and Public Safety