NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - As police are attempting to determine whether a deadly multi-vehicle crash in North Miami was a case of street racing, one of the innocent drivers involved shared his account of the violent collision.
North Miami Police said the crash took place near Northwest 119th Street and Seventh Avenue, just before 2 a.m., Monday.
“I got three cars. I got one person ejected,” said a first responder in radio transmissions.
One person was killed and another was taken to the hospital, police said.
Investigators said a total of three cars were involved: a white Range Rover, a black Infiniti sedan and a red and white Dodge Challenger.
Hours after he walked away from the wreck without serious injuries, Carlo Desaille, the driver of the Infiniti, was back at work.
Monday afternoon, Desaille spoke with 7News about the crash.
“I got some video that my son got on the net and sent to me,” he said.
The video, shared on social media, appears to show a red and white Challenger doing doughnuts at an intersection.
Police confirmed this was the same vehicle involved in Monday’s crash. However, the date of the video is unknown, and the intersection depicted is the corner of Northwest 36th Street and 32nd Avenue in Miami.
Desaille said he has no doubt the driver of the Challenger was going too fast.
“He was speeding,” he said.
Desaille said he was heading home from work along Seventh Avenue and was trying to turn onto 119th Street when he was hit by the Range Rover.
“I just tried to save my life,” he said.
Seconds before, police said, the Challenger had hit the Range Rover.
Desaille said the Challenger came flying into his line of sight.
“It was so fast, OK? [The Challenger] hit the Range Rover, and the Range Rover hit me,” he said.
Desaille said the impact was so strong that it pushed his Infiniti almost a block.
“Total loss,” he said.
The mangled cars and debris could be seen scattered across the roadway.
Police said someone inside the Challenger died from injuries suffered in the crash. They have not determined how many people were inside the car.
A yellow tarp could be seen inside the Challenger, as well as its air bags.
Police have not disclosed the name of the deceased victim, but friends who gathered at a memorial at the scene of the crash, Monday night, identified him as Fabian Gonzalez.
Video recorded at the scene showed paramedics as they placed the driver of the Range Rover on a stretcher.
The patient was taken to Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries. As of Monday night, their condition was unknown.
Although Desaille’s car is totaled, he said he is thankful to have gotten away with his life.
“It was really terrible. It was really, really terrible. It was a hard accident,” he said.
Officers shut down Northwest Seventh Avenue between Northwest 119th and 120th streets until the scene cleared, later that morning. It has since reopened.
Monday night, police returned to the scene of the crash, as 7News cameras captured loved ones paying their respects to Gonzalez.
“I’ve known him since high school. I’ve gone on a couple of trips with him. He was always a good kid,” said a mourner. “I’m just supporting and showing some love for our friend.”
Police said they are looking at the video showing the driver of the Challenger doing doughnuts, as they continue to investigate.
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