Ruskin man faces DUI manslaughter charge in fatal tanker truck crash

One night in May, authorities say, Alvino Lamar Porter Senones went out for drinks. At some point, he received multiple text messages that warned him to be careful and to avoid drinking and driving, court records state.

It’s unclear if Senones got those messages. But early on the morning of May 6, authorities say, Senones was under the influence of alcohol when he got behind the wheel of his Kia Stinger and crashed into another car on U.S. 41 near Causeway Boulevard. While fleeing from the scene of that crash at speeds of more than 124 mph, records state, he slammed into the back of a fuel tanker truck.

The truck crashed into a utility pole and exploded, killing the driver, 49-year-old Randall Jerome Ervin.

Seven months later, Senones, 23, has been arrested on charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in connection to Ervin’s death.

Alvino Senones, 23, is pictured in a Hillsborough County booking photo taken on Wednesday after he was arrested on charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. [ Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office ]

Senones’ arrest affidavit and search warrant affidavits filed in the case lay out the evidence that Florida Highway Patrol investigators collected to pursue charges against the Ruskin man.

Bank records, receipts and surveillance obtained by investigators showed Senones bought and drank alcohol at two bars in the hours leading up to the crash. Receipts showed he spent $50 at MacDinton’s Irish Pub in South Tampa and $224 at The Ritz in Ybor City.

Troopers also searched Senones’ phone records and found multiple outgoing text messages about locations where he was drinking alcohol. He also sent messages “regarding him entering the Kia and leaving an establishment at which he was consuming alcoholic beverages,” according to the arrest affidavit.

The phone records showed multiple incoming texts “pleading with Mr. Senones to be careful and not to get into trouble drinking and driving,” the arrest affidavit states. The affidavit does not say who sent those messages.

A Kia Stinger sits on its roof in a field along U.S. 41 near Bloomingdale Avenue on May 6. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Kia driver, Alvino Senones, crashed into the back of a tractor trailer carrying fuel, causing the truck to explode. The tractor trailer driver, Randall Ervin, was killed. [ Florida Highway Patrol ]

Senones was heading south on U.S. 41 around 2:40 a.m. that morning when he was involved in a crash with a Dodge Charger.

A witness said it appeared the Kia got into a crash with the Dodge north of Causeway Boulevard, then the Kia and the Dodge and a second Dodge Charger all stopped at a red light at the intersection with Causeway Boulevard. The witness said the driver of one of the Dodge vehicles began screaming at the Kia driver. The witness said he asked someone in his car to video record the incident.

Want breaking news in your inbox?

Subscribe to our free News Alerts newsletter

You’ll receive real-time updates on major issues and events in Tampa Bay and beyond as they happen.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

The video shows the Kia had damage to its right rear side and its rear bumper was hanging off. The driver of one of the Dodge Chargers can be seen gesturing with his arm out the window toward the Kia and making inaudible comments. It shows a passenger in that Dodge getting out and approaching the Kia, and the Kia driver speeding off through the red traffic signal. The drivers of both Dodge Chargers followed.

Another video from the same witness shows the taillights of both Chargers as they headed south on U.S. 41. It shows one of the Dodge drivers braking, followed by a flash of light and an explosion.

Senones had crashed the Kia into the back of the tanker truck, records state. After the initial collision, the Kia lurched into an embankment, went airborne and landed on its roof among some brush.

The force of the collision caused the tanker to crash into an electrified utility pole. The trailer portion of the vehicle overturned and exploded, and the tractor was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

The burned wreckage of a fuel tanker truck sits against a utility pole on U.S. 41 north of Bloomingdale Avenue in Tampa on May 6. A Kia Stinger crashed into the truck's trailer, causing it to explode. The truck driver, Randall Ervin, was killed. [ Florida Highway Patrol ]

Senones had burn marks from the Kia’s airbag on his face, torso and forearms. His mouth and both eyes were badly bruised, and he had cuts on his face and arms.

At Tampa General Hospital, staff took a sample of Senones’ blood. When he refused to volunteer the sample to authorities, police got a warrant for his blood work, records state. Investigators found his blood alcohol level had been measured at 0.218. Under Florida law, a driver is presumed to be impaired with levels of 0.08 or higher.

A data recorder in the Kia showed the vehicle was moving at or above 124 mph about five seconds before it struck the truck. The Kia’s engine throttle and gas pedal acceleration were at 100% one second before impact, and its anti-lock brakes didn’t engage in the moments leading up to the crash.

Troopers tracked down the driver of one of the Dodge Chargers, who said Senones had been involved in a hit-and-run crash with the driver and was trying to flee the scene when the second crash happened.

Randall Jerome Ervin is pictured in a screenshot of his online obituary at legacy.com. Ervin was killed on May 6 when another driver crashed his car into the back of the fuel tanker that Ervin was driving. [ legacy.com ]

Records show Senones was released from a Hillsborough County jail on Thursday after posting $30,000 bail. He declined to comment Friday.

A native of Boston, Ervin graduated from high school in Alabama and served six years in the U.S. Navy before landing a job as a fuel tanker driver for Circle K, according to his obituary. The obituary said he was a father of three children who coached youth sports and “had a strong passion for the job he did.”

“He was a very determined person and worked very hard,” the obituary said.

Credits