A Wednesday afternoon traffic stop on Hillsborough Avenue West spiraled into a school bus collision and the discovery of a suspected explosive device, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies stopped a silver Kia Forte and tried to remove driver Tonnetta Evans, 54, after developing probable cause to search the vehicle. Investigators say Evans put the car in drive and fled east with a deputy still partially inside, then struck a school bus carrying 41 students from Pierce Middle School along with a driver and a bus aide. No students were injured.
Evans was taken into custody near Interstate 275. A search of the Kia allegedly turned up a suspected pipe bomb, weapons, drugs, fake IDs, and counterfeit currency. The car itself had been reported stolen out of Kentucky in 2022. Evans faces charges including aggravated battery on an officer and armed meth possession. Sheriff Chad Chronister said the suspect showed a complete disregard for the safety of the deputy, other motorists, and the children of the community.
For families across the Suncoast, the case raises hard questions about how quickly a routine stop can become a public safety emergency, and about what safeguards exist when students are on the road during a pursuit. Bus routes on major corridors like Hillsborough Avenue carry thousands of area kids every school day.
What do you think should change after an incident like this? We want to hear from Suncoast parents, drivers, and school staff.
