MIAMI (WSVN) - A driver was killed after, police said, he smashed into an apartment building in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood.
City of Miami Police said the man behind the wheel of the car lost control and struck the building located near Northwest First Place and 11th Street, at around midnight, Monday.
Area resident Torrey Washington said he doesn’t sleep much and was up when he and some of his neighbors heard a loud noise.
“We’re thinking like a generator went off or something, and everyone just went to one spot,” said Washington.
Washington was on the scene before rescue crews arrived and said he and other members of the community tried to get the driver out of the vehicle, but the doors and the man’s leg were stuck, making it impossible for them to do so.
He even jumped into the car before he saw it was starting to smoke.
“When the first unit arrived, they found a vehicle that was actually upright on its front bumper in a field right next to this apartment building,” said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll. “This vehicle crashed into the side of this building with such force that it actually created a 15-by-10 foot hole.”
Rescue crews were able to stabilize the car and get the man out of the vehicle.
Paramedics transported the driver in critical condition to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“My adrenaline was rushing. I tried the best that I can, and I’m just sorry that we got lost. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get him out of the car,” said Washington. “I just feel bad like, you know, you’re here and one day you’re gone. You know what I’m saying?”
Investigators said there were no occupants inside of the apartment that sustained the worst of the damage.
Residents at the apartment building were told to evacuate because the impact caused a gas leak.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the crash.
“You can see, by the damage and even the path that it created, that definitely speed will be looked into as far as a factor,” said Carroll.
The building has since been deemed structurally safe, and all occupants except for those who live in the apartment that sustained the worst damage have been able to return to their homes.
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