TAMPA, Fla. – The family of 20-year-old Ismael Coss got in front of Tampa City Council on Thursday, asking them to take a new look at the crash that claimed his life.Â
What we know:
Coss was one of two people who died when a truck hit him along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard on March 17th, 2025.Â
Several other people were hurt, including a six-year-old and seven-year-old.Â
The backstory:
More than a dozen people were involved in the crash.Â
Tampa police told FOX 13 the driver of the dump truck failed to notice stopped traffic at an intersection. That driver slammed into other cars, including a minivan with a six and seven-year-old inside. The driver of the van died.Â
Related: 2 dead, several injured in MLK crash involving dump truck in Tampa: Police
Ismael was also  hit as he stepped out of his box truck to place a sign in the grassy shoulder.Â
Tampa police said the dump truck driver didn’t show any signs of impairment or a medical episode, and was issued a court summons for careless driving resulting in death.
What they’re saying:
Ismael’s mom, Diana Coss, isn’t satisfied with that court summons and called the investigation a ‘deep failure of accountability’.Â
She got emotional in front of the council on Thursday, saying her son was just 20-years-old with a whole life in front of him.Â
“My son’s death cannot be dismissed as a simple mistake,” Coss explained. He was ready to serve this country, he had just joined the Navy and he was only 20-years old. He had his whole life ahead of him.”
She said the police department’s investigation didn’t provide any answers and said the only thing they said was the driver was daydreaming at the time of the crash. She wants them to reopen their review of the crash.Â
We reached out to the Tampa Police Department regarding Coss’ statements at council, but we have not heard back.Â
The Source: FOX 13 gathered information for this story from the Tampa city council meeting where Diana Coss spoke about her son, Ismael as well as prior reporting on the day of the crash.