The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 54-year-old woman described as an 11-time convicted felon after deputies say she fled a traffic stop with a deputy partially inside her vehicle before crashing into a school bus carrying 41 middle school students.
The incident began at approximately 4:36 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, when deputies conducted a traffic stop on a silver Kia Forte on Hillsborough Avenue West, just west of Dale Mabry Highway North.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle and attempted to remove the driver and sole occupant, identified as Tonnetta Evans, 54. Deputies said Evans was uncooperative.
As deputies attempted to remove her from the Kia, Evans allegedly placed the vehicle in drive and fled eastbound on Hillsborough Avenue with a deputy partially inside the vehicle.
Video released by HCSO
Authorities said that immediately after fleeing, and before deputies could initiate a pursuit based on the alleged aggravated battery, Evans struck a school bus carrying 41 students from Pierce Middle School. The bus driver and a bus aide were also aboard.
No students were injured, and the school bus sustained minor damage. The students were transferred to another bus and transported home.
Evans was ultimately taken into custody at the Howard Avenue and Armenia Avenue ramp to southbound I-275. A search of the vehicle yielded the following items:
- Pipe bomb/explosive device
- Brass knuckles and a TASER
- Bandolier of shotgun shells
- Three identification cards belonging to other individuals
- Four credit cards belonging to other individuals
- Counterfeit $100 bills totaling $1,100
- Silver half-dollars and coins
- Methamphetamine, marijuana, and multiple prescription pills
As the investigation continued, deputies learned that the Kia Evans was driving had been reported stolen in Kentucky in 2022.
Tonnetta Evans was charged with the following:
- Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Deadly Weapon
- Armed Possession of Methamphetamine
- Aggravated Fleeing to Elude
- Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer
- Felon in Possession of Ammunition
- Felon in Possession of an Electric Weapon or Device
- False Name to a Law Enforcement Officer
- Possession of Cannabis Less Than 20 Grams
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Possession of a Controlled Substance Without a Prescription (3 counts)
- Unlawful Possession of the Personal Identification of Another (5 or More)
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Attaching a Tag Not Assigned
- Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving a School Bus (Hit and Run)
“This suspect showed a complete disregard for the safety of our deputy, other motorists and the children of our community, and we are extremely fortunate that no one was seriously hurt,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “Thanks to the quick actions of our deputies, a dangerous career criminal who was driving around with a pipe bomb in her car is now off our streets.”
Evans was also arrested on a Kentucky failure-to-appear warrant related to charges of possession of a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine, and theft of another person’s identity without consent.
According to HCSO, Evans is a three-time Indiana state prison releasee and has nine felony convictions in Indiana and two felony convictions in Kentucky. Her criminal history in the two states includes charges involving escape, burglary, burglary of a vehicle, identity theft and possession of narcotics.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Evans’ booking photo will be released when it becomes available.
The investigation remains active.
