A Florida man has been charged with first degree murder after he forced a car he was chasing into a crash that killed the vehicle’s passenger.
Police reported that Kyle Hill mistakenly believed he was following his ex-girlfriend’s car and aggressively pursued and harassed the vehicle for several blocks. This pursuit resulted in the car crashing into a concrete pole that collapsed and crushed the vehicle.
Arislenni Blanco-Medina was killed and the the driver of the car, her boyfriend Norbelis Figueredo-Campos, was seriously injured.
Hill also lost control of his car and crashed into a tree in the median. His blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
The St. Petersburg Police detailed that the incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Sunday following an argument between Hill and his ex-girlfriend. After the argument, she left in a friend’s vehicle. Hill then got into his Nissan SUV to search for her and mistakenly identified a Honda as the car she was in. He proceeded to call and threaten her before chasing the Honda.
The Honda, however, carried Blanco-Medina and Figueredo-Campos, recent Cuban immigrants, who were on their way to Walmart.
Initially, Hill was charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. However, on Wednesday, the charges were elevated to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
