Crime & Safety
Suspected Drunk Driver In Deadly Bloomingdale/US 301 Crash Facing Homicide, Manslaughter Charges
Lilly Mills, 5, died July 2, at 4:56 p.m., at Tampa General Hospital, from injuries she sustained in the July 1 crash.
A suspected drunken driver who was involved in a five-car crash at Bloomingdale Avenue and U.S. Highway 301 that killed a child from Brandon is now facing vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter charges.
Lilly Mills, 5, died July 2, at 4:56 p.m., at Tampa General Hospital, from injuries she sustained in the July 1 crash.
Four other members of the Mills family in the family mini-van, including three children and two adults, were treated and released.
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The driver who reportedly caused the accident, Rolando Rojas, 52, of 120 East Crenshaw St., was arrested at Tampa General, where he was being treated for minor injuries. Initially, Rojas had been facing two counts of driving under the influence – serious bodily injury.
Rojas is now charged with DUI serious injury, vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter, reckless driving involving serious Injury, four counts of DUI involving property damage and DUI. He is being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail.
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Also reported injured in the accident were van occupants Samantha Anne Populin, 25; Paul Wilson Mills, 29; Kayla Marie Mills, 10 and Sophia Evy Mills, 2.
Populin is the mother of Lilly Mills and one of the other children in the mini-van. Paul Mills is the father of all four children.
According to the accident report, Rojas was driving north on U.S. 301, in a 1999 Ford Ranger, when at 9:37 p.m. he tried to pass between two vehicles that were stopped for traffic south of Bloomingdale Avenue.
He reportedly sideswiped both — a Nissan Altima in the outside lane and a Honda Civic — and then continued into the intersection, where he crashed into the right side of the 2002 Chrysler van driven by Samantha Populin. Rojas’ truck then rolled over and hit a Ford Mustang.
There were no other injuries reported among the occupants of the other vehicles involved in the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol investigation remains open at this time. Toxicology results are not expected for several weeks or months in the crash.
