Florida Highway Patrol investigators are using license plate readers, surveillance video, and social media posts to identify additional participants in the 100-plus-car street takeover that shut down I-75 near mile marker 266 early Saturday, Aug. 1. The stretch of interstate in Thonotosassa sits roughly 15 to 20 miles north of Apollo Beach and Ruskin, a corridor SouthShore commuters travel daily.
FHP Trooper Kenneth Watson confirmed Monday, Aug. 3, that more arrests are expected beyond the four people already booked into Hillsborough County Jail.
"You could literally lose your car, lose your license and, hopefully not, lose your life or end someone's life," Watson said.
More than 100 vehicles blocked all northbound lanes beginning around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in what FHP described as a coordinated takeover promoted online beforehand. Traffic cameras captured participants performing burnouts across the interstate. When troopers arrived with lights and sirens, vehicles scattered and participants ran back to their cars.
A green BMW fled northbound, reaching 140 mph while weaving through traffic with hazard lights on, according to WFLA. The chase continued onto Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, where the driver ran a red light at Dona Michelle Drive before stopping in a parking lot.
Driver Yulian Lugo, 25, faces felony charges of aggravated fleeing to elude and participating in a street takeover. Three passengers were arrested on misdemeanor charges: Mason Salois, 18; Julia Paxton, 18; and Madison Rudeck, 24. According to the arrest report, Rudeck owns the BMW and told officers she is blind and had no idea what was happening, though she said she asked Lugo to stop driving so fast during the pursuit.
No injuries were reported.
Statewide crackdown
FHP has issued more than 1,000 street takeover citations statewide in 2026, with approximately 70 percent going to people between ages 16 and 24, according to the agency.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a statewide crackdown on takeover organizers in June, announcing prosecutors would pursue conspiracy charges against those who plan the events. Florida's "super speeders" law, which took effect July 1, 2025, carries a $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail for driving 100 mph or more recklessly. At 140 mph, Lugo's speed qualified as an automatic arrest under that statute, according to the Gainesville Sun.
Shirley Robertson, a Thonotosassa resident who lives adjacent to I-75 near the scene, told Tampa Bay 28 she heard the commotion but couldn't see anything in the dark. She called for more cameras and lighting along the corridor and urged officers to increase patrols in the area.
FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said Saturday that the agency considers the behavior illegal for drivers, passengers, and spectators alike and will enforce the law "at every opportunity."
Watson said investigators are reviewing online postings used to organize the meetup. No timeline for additional arrests has been announced. Residents with information can contact FHP or dial *FHP (347) from a mobile phone.
