Attempted Murder Charges For Man Who Ran Over Bikers

Joseph Calderazzo rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle to dinner on Monday at around 5:30 p.m. after a Memorial Day celebration. While cruising, a silver Pontiac suddenly swerved into his lane, seemingly attempting to force him off the road.

At the next traffic light at U.S. 41 and County Line Road in Pasco County, Calderazzo, a Navy veteran, shared some driving advice with the Pontiac’s driver. Unexpectedly, the driver backed up, turned the steering wheel sharply to the right, and plowed over the motorcycle, sending Calderazzo and his passenger to the ground.

A video, now viral, captured the shocking incident, leaving Calderazzo reflecting, “We knew we got hit, but when you see the video, oh my God. We could have died.”

Despite the severity of the impact, the 46-year-old suffered only a broken fibula and sprained knee. Meanwhile, his passenger, Melanie Ann Milinkovich, 41, remained unharmed. It’s noteworthy that both individuals are residents of Tampa.

Identified as 31-year-old Robert Paul Vance from Land O’Lakes by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Pontiac driver fled the scene. Witnesses pursued Vance, leading them to 129 Lutz Lake Fern Road.

Upon the trooper’s arrival, Vance had already replaced a tire with a spare, and in the trunk, a shredded tire was found, consistent with the road rage incident, according to the FHP.

Vance confessed to running over the motorcycle and leaving the scene. He now faces two attempted murder charges, along with charges of leaving the scene of a crash with injury and driving with a suspended license as a habitual traffic offender. Vance is held in the Pasco County jail with a bail set at $115,000 as of Tuesday.

FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins noted, “A few more inches to the right, and he would have run the guy smack over.”

In a concerning pattern, Florida has declared Vance a habitual traffic offender twice, with a history of convictions including DUI and reckless driving. His license has faced suspension or revocation multiple times.

With a criminal record involving drug, burglary, and traffic convictions, incarcerated in the Pasco County Jail on a $115,000 bond.