01What happened

The story, straight

Riley Ferrer, 28, veered off I-75 near Tampa and slammed into another vehicle, which flipped into the woods and seriously injured its two occupants. A BayFlight medical helicopter landed on the closed highway to evacuate the victims. Ferrer then rushed past first responders and attempted to fly the helicopter away, but was stopped. He told law enforcement he had seen the antichrist moments before the crash. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital but had to be physically escorted inside by authorities.

28-year-old Riley Ferrer wrecked his truck on I-75 near Tampa, flipping another vehicle into the woods and seriously injuring two people. a BayFlight medevac chopper landed on the highway to evacuate them. Ferrer then sprinted past first responders and tried to fly the helicopter himself. didn't work. he told cops he'd seen the antichrist right before the crash and had to be physically dragged into Tampa General.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

Jun 20, 2026Origin
Dexerto publishes report on Ferrer's attempted helicopter theft.Dexerto runs the story
source

03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • Riley Ferrer, 28, crashed his truck on I-75 near Tampa, flipping another vehicle.
  • Two people in the other vehicle were seriously injured.
  • A BayFlight medical helicopter landed on the highway for evacuation.
  • Ferrer attempted to enter and fly the helicopter but was stopped by first responders.
Disputed
  • Ferrer's claim that he saw the antichrist before the crash — sourced only to his own statement to law enforcement.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

This is a straightforward Florida crime story that went viral for the sheer audacity of attempting to steal a medical helicopter mid-rescue. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about highway safety and erratic behavior on interstates.

stealing a medevac helicopter mid-rescue is a new one even by florida standards. the antichrist detail is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.