MIAMI (WSVN) - Three people have been transported to the hospital after being injured in a car fire in Miami.
7SkyForce HD hovered over the scene along the Venetian Causeway near Northeast 12th Place, early Friday morning.
Officials said the Mercedes sedan was traveling along the Venetian Causeway when the driver lost control and drove through private property. The vehicle hit a home and continued until it came to a final rest on a roadway.
“Somewhere the driver lost control, hit the median, hit some trees, continued to go eastbound through the backyard of a home, over the pool, through the side of the home and a final rest stop in the front where the vehicle was engulfed in flames,” said Miami Police Commander Freddie Cruz.
The crash involved only one vehicle and investigators said speed was a factor in the cause of the crash.
The vehicle became engulfed in flames and the passengers were trapped for some time.
“I heard a loud, loud noise,” said Renaud Doura. “It felt like a bomb.”
Firefighters were able to put out the flames and used a saw to extricate all the passengers.
“They had to cut the car to get the other guy out and almost one-and-a-half hour after they got the other guy. He was in really bad shape,” Doura said.
For the people who live in the area, the crash was an early wake-up call that rattled the neighborhood.
Vivien Nouel and her husband live in the home that was hit.
“He woke up and was like, ‘What’s that?’ and I thought it was a palm tree that maybe fell on the roof or something,” she said. “He went to the window, our bedroom’s on the second floor, and he said, ‘No, it’s a car accident. It’s on fire.’ We ran downstairs, I grabbed my phone and I called 911.”
“This could have been tragic if this family in this home would have been in their backyard or in the pool, as this vehicle went at a high rate of speed through her backyard,” Cruz said.
Neighbors said this does not usually happen in the neighborhood.
“It makes you wonder if your safety is in jeopardy around here, to be honest with you,” said neighbor Gary Frohman.
Those who saw the accident up close said they are hoping for the best.
“We feel a little bit distressed, you know, that somebody was in a burning car,” said Nouel. “I was afraid the car would blow up.”
The two passengers were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.
The driver is said to be in critical condition with severe injuries, including head trauma and severe burns, while the passengers are said to be in stable condition.
The Venetian Causeway was closed to traffic but has since reopened.
Police said they are investigating whether drugs or alcohol may have played a role in the crash.
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