TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – A 23-year-old Oldsmar man is behind bars today after a violent collision on US 19 left a motorcyclist with critical injuries and sparked a multi-agency search across Pinellas County.
The incident began just after 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29th, 2026. According to the Tarpon Springs Police Department, a newer model Hyundai Sonata was traveling northbound near Martin Luther King Dr. when it struck a motorcycle.
Instead of stopping, the driver of the sedan sped away from the scene, leaving the motorcyclist behind. The victim was quickly transported to a local hospital as a trauma alert due to the severity of their injuries.
Witnesses and surveillance footage captured the aftermath of the crash, showing a 2020–2023 Hyundai fleeing with heavy damage to its left rear side and bumper.
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Police noted the rear bumper was literally hanging off the car and the driver’s side taillight housing was entirely missing as the vehicle was seen heading southbound on Belcher Road.
The search ended in Oldsmar when investigators, with help from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, located the mangled vehicle and identified the driver as Tarrin Gold.
Gold was taken into custody and faces a series of felony charges, including leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and failure to render aid. He is currently being held as the investigation into the high-speed escape continues.
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