MIAMI (WSVN) - Rescue crews took a South Florida mother, her two children and her brother to the hospital after, officials said, they were involved in a rollover wreck along the Palmetto Expressway in Hialeah, Sunday morning.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the crash took place near the Okeechobee Road exit, at around 11:30 a.m.
Motorist Ras Acevedo said he was driving along the perimeter of the Palmetto when he saw what happened. “A guy was driving real fast in an Infiniti and smacked a Mercedes-Benz,” he said.
The Mercedes SUV, which was carrying the little boys inside, rolled over on impact.
Speaking to 7News in Spanish as she was leaving Jackson Memorial Hospital, Sunday afternoon, the children’s mother, Naylin Reyes, said the accident unfolded in seconds. “All I felt, we were rolling. The kids were screaming. Everything was out of control. The glass shattered,” she said.
7News cameras captured the chaotic scene in the aftermath of the accident. One of the two boys who sustained injuries in the crash was seen crying as his brother held an ice pack on his head.
Moments later, first responders taped them to backboards and airlifted them to Jackson Memorial Hospital. “We landed air rescue on the 826, and we sent them off to Jackson Ryder Pediatrics, so they can be assessed,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ralph Baena.
7News captured Reyes getting off the helicopter, as paramedics wheeled her children into the hospital. Officials said she and her brother were also treated.
Meanwhile, Acevedo said he believes the man behind the wheel of the badly damaged Infiniti caused the crash and took off running, but he would not get far. “I decided to chase him, based on the witnesses, and we found him in an abandoned warehouse,” he said. “I helped the security guard make sure he didn’t leave, and then luckily, Hialeah Police showed up.”
A witness said the driver of the Infiniti was apprehended near a Restaurant Depot. “He got caught right in that corner. They had him handcuffed on the curb,” said Michael Geano.
All four victims were released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. The little boy seen crying inconsolably after the crash smiled and said hello to 7News’ cameras outside of the hospital.
Reyes said, despite the bumps and bruises they suffered, she’s grateful they were all able to leave the hospital together. “I can’t explain what happened. I want to thank God we are alive because everything happened so fast,” she said.
The family said they were heading to lunch for Mother’s Day at the time of the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. Officials have not provided further details about the cause of the crash and what charges the driver of the Infiniti may face.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.