Pedestrian hit by truck during chase listed in critical condition

By MELANIE AVE

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

TAMPA -- Stacy Stuttler was in the wrong place at the wrong time early Thursday when he ended up in the path of a car chase that started at a north Tampa bar, sheriff's officials said.

Stuttler, 18, was walking to the Rainbow Mobile Home Park about 3 a.m. and trying to cross 56th Street at Hillsborough Avenue when he was struck by a green 2000 Isuzu truck driven by 20-year-old James Davis of 3462 Windermere Lake Drive in Riverview.

Officials said Davis ran a red light and hit Stuttler in the intersection.

Stuttler of 4803 E Hillsborough Ave., Lot No. 9, was in critical condition Thursday at Tampa General Hospital.

Neighbors said he and his pal, Darrell Burks, were walking home from a friend's house when Stuttler stepped into the path of the car chase.

"Darrell caught the truck out of the corner of his eye and went out to reach for Stacy, but it was too late," said Rhonda Burks, Darrell's mother.

Stuttler's father, Michael, heard the police sirens nearby as he waited for a ride to Ben Roberts Produce, where he works as a delivery driver. Authorities called him at work about 10:30 a.m. to tell him Stacy had been injured.

"I kind of question walking around that time of night," said the elder Stuttler, fighting back tears Thursday evening at his house. "But it had nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.

"He was just walking home."

Sheriff's Sgt. Rod Reder said the car chase originated at Patrick's Beach Club at 2253 E Bearss Ave., where a fight broke out inside the club about 2:30 a.m. One man, 18-year-old Justin Robinson of 5124 N 43rd St., was stabbed in the shoulder but not seriously injured.

He and 16-year-old Stanton Cooley of 5902 Trout River Drive jumped into the truck driven by Davis, Reder said, and four men involved in the fight got in a red Mercury Sable and began chasing the truck.

"At some point in time, this red (car) pulls up," Reder said. "One of the males inside starts shooting up the truck." Cooley, who was sitting in the right passenger seat, was slightly injured by a bullet fragment or metal from the truck. He was released from Tampa General Hospital on Thursday afternoon.

The chase continued south on 56th Street through Temple Terrace.

At Hillsborough Avenue, the men in the Sable passed the Isuzu truck and ran a red light, Reder said. The truck followed, running the light and hitting another truck traveling through the intersection, he said. The driver of the second truck was not injured.

The Isuzu spun and hit Stuttler.

Thursday night, the driver of the Mercury turned himself in to deputies, Reder said. Sean Allick, 19, of 1301 Chilt Drive in Brandon was charged with shooting into a vehicle, discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle and aggravated assault with a firearm. Reder said Allick never fired a shot, but is still responsible under the law.

More arrests are expected.

-- Staff writer Angela Moore contributed to this report.

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