Teen sentenced in deadly crash following 2022 police chase from Tampa to Plant City

TAMPA, Fla. - A teen was sentenced to 12 years in prison Wednesday for a deadly crash that ended a high-speed police chase from Tampa into Plant City in 2022.

According to the state attorney’s office, Calvin Sanford, who is now 18, opted for an open plea in court rather than go to trial, where he faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted by a jury. Sanford was 15 years old when the crash occurred on March 12, 2022.

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Calvin Sanford, Courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. 

The backstory:

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Sanford was driving a stolen truck when he fled from Tampa police into Plant City. The chase ended near the intersection of Turkey Creek Road and Trapnell Road, where officials said Sanford crashed into a vehicle, killing its passenger — a mother named Maria Torres.

Investigators said Sanford and three other juveniles tried to run from the scene but were quickly taken into custody.

At the time of his arrest, Sanford already had seven prior felony charges, including burglary of a conveyance, grand theft of a firearm and resisting arrest. He was being held in jail on unrelated charges when a felony vehicular homicide charge was added in April 2022, HCSO said.

MORE NEWS: Judge denies bond for teen accused in deadly crash following high-speed chase in stolen truck

In June 2022, a Tampa judge denied Sanford bond.

Dig deeper:

The sentencing followed Florida’s juvenile guidelines, which considered Sanford’s age at the time of the crime. Sanford’s prison sentence also includes convictions in two separate cases for grand theft of a motor vehicle, all of which will be served concurrently.