A wrong-way collision in Tampa on Feb. 9 resulted in the death of five men, including four USF fraternity brothers.
At 2:12 a.m., Jobin Joy Kuriakose, 21, Ankeet Harshad Patel, 22, Dammie Yesudhas, 21, and Imtiyaz “Jim” Ilias, 20, were struck head-on by a Ford Expedition going the wrong way on Interstate 275. Kuriakose’s 2010 Hyundai Sonata was torn apart, while the Expedition, driven by Daniel Lee Morris, 28, immediately burst into flames, the Tampa Bay Times reported. All five men died at the scene.
The men in the Hyundai were students at USF Tampa and members of the Sigma Beta Rho fraternity, an off-campus multicultural fraternity founded on society, brotherhood and remembrance, according to its website. Ilias attended USF St. Petersburg last year before transferring to the Tampa campus.
How or why Morris entered the wrong side of the interstate is unknown. His body was so badly burned that it took days to identify. Toxicology reports have not yet revealed whether drugs or alcohol were involved, but the Times reported that Morris was believed to be at a party on the night of the crash.
The day of the accident, a campaign was created on Gofundme.com to raise money for the funeral services and arrangements of Kuriaskose, Patel, Yesudhas and Ilias, with a $40,000 goal. Within 24 hours, more than $55,000 was donated. At the time of reporting, $78,222 had been raised.
A vigil for the men was held at the Marshall Student Center at USF Tampa on Thursday, Feb. 13. Earlier that day, USFSP students gathered to remember Ilias at the gazebo near the waterfront.
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Tea-light candles flickered inside brown paper bags as wind gusted through Bayboro Harbor. A group of about 25 students # the friends, classmates and rememberers of Jim Ilias # held hands in a moment of silence for a fallen fellow Bull.
Over ruffling leaves and suppressed sniffles, they told stories about meeting Ilias on campus, about connecting with him over a shared heritage and about finding a true friend with an unrelenting smile.
Christa Hegedus remembers meeting Ilias when he came up to the Sex and Relationships Club booth at orientation. His interest was in more than just the club.
“At first I thought he was kinda hitting on me,” Hegedus told the group with a chuckle, “But he was so sweet.”
She said Ilias texted her not too long ago asking her to go to lunch, but the plans never materialized. They never had their lunch date.
Jonathan Jones met Ilias through USFSP’s grappling club.
“He always had a smile on his face, always had a joke to tell,” Jones said. “Whenever I’m having a bad day, I’ll think of that smile.”
Jones said he could picture Ilias running across the waterfront lawn carrying a grappling mat, as they often did for practice. Whereas others would team up to lift the heavy mats, Ilias would always take on his own.
Louis Bruno, who also knew Ilias through grappling, said the waterfront vigil was fitting. Ilias recently confessed to him that though he loved the Tampa campus, he missed the water at USFSP.
Bruno said he is trying to get Studio A in the Fitness Center renamed after Ilias. Those who knew him knew he was always in the gym.
A few friends recalled Ilias sitting on their couch in their dorm room just a few weeks ago. Even those who didn’t know him well could see that he was loved. They wish they had gotten to know him better.
Anamul Preetom considers Ilias “his first real guy friend at USFSP.”
“We just clicked,” Preetom said, who shares Ilias’ Bengali heritage.
“He always had that energy … I don’t know what it is. Since the accident, I feel like he’s here with me giving me that energy.”
Rehanna Hack also connected with Ilias over their shared culture. When she first met him in the old Davis Lounge, Ilias immediately knew she was Muslim. When she asked how he knew, he told her, “You just flow differently.”
Hack regrets not getting to say goodbye to her friend. And so do the rest.
Kayla Robbins initially suggested the vigil for Ilias.
“He was a friend of mine, a friend of everyone’s really,” she said. “I don’t think there was a soul who didn’t like him.”
Ilias’ friends said he loved his life. He loved his friends, his family, his school and his fraternity. He was happy, always joking and always ready with a smile to pass on # a smile that will live on through the halls of USFSP and the lives of all he touched.
The Crow’s Nest staff has the families and friends of all four Bulls lost in the accident in our thoughts.
life@crowsneststpete.com
