Former Largo High School football player Adarius Hayes, now a linebacker at the University of Miami, was arrested Friday in connection with a crash in May that killed two children and an elderly woman, police said.
Hayes faces three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving with serious bodily injury.
"On May 10, 2025, at approximately 1:43 p.m., the Largo Police Department responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash with fatalities at the intersection of Orange View Drive and Ridge Road," said Megan Santo, a public information officer with the Largo Police Department.
After an arrest warrant for Hayes was issued, the 20-year-old turned himself in at the Largo Police Department at 10:53 a.m. Friday. He was transported to Pinellas County Jail and released at 2:18 p.m. on $350,000 bond.
Police said that Hayes was travelling 78.9 mph in a 40-mph zone in a Dodge Durango at the time of the crash. Santo also said that about five seconds before the crash, Hayes made a "rapid and dangerous maneuver."
"Moments later, Hayes abruptly re-entered the curb lane, again crossing all three lanes without signaling. At that point, Hayes' vehicle collided with the 2017 Kia Soul, which was lawfully executing a left-hand turn westbound onto Orange View Drive," said Santo.
The deceased were identified as Gail Price, 78, Jabari Elijah Solomon, 10, and Charlie Herbert Solomon Riveria, 4. Another passenger was hospitalized with serious injuries, according to police.
"The investigation concluded that Adarius Hayes' egregious speed, aggressive and reckless lane changes, and complete disregard for surrounding traffic conditions demonstrated a willful and deliberate disregard for the safety of others, constituting reckless driving," said Santo. "These actions directly led to the tragic deaths of the three victims."
According to records, Hayes previously received a speeding ticket and multiple citations for improper lane changes and had his license briefly suspended in 2023 after failing to complete driving school.
Largo Police Chief Mike Loux provided an update following the arrest of 20-year-old Adarius Hayes, who has been charged with Vehicular Homicide and Reckless Driving with Serious Bodily Injury related to the crash that that killed three people.https://t.co/T0ZsPjDQKB
— Largo Police Department (@LargoPD) August 29, 2025
Per school policy, UM's athletic department said Hayes was indefinitely suspended from "all athletic-related activities" as police conducted the investigation and the university gathered more information.
Hayes was one of the top-rated linebackers coming out of Largo High in 2023. Now a sophomore at UM, he played in 12 games as a freshman, primarily on special teams.
Lazaro Chavez, Katie Karlson and Mel Tenkoff contributed to this report.
This story was originally published by The Miami Hurricane, the student newspaper of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, as part of an editorial content partnership with the WLRN newsroom.
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