MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Witnesses and possibly even the victims of a reckless driver in Broward County turned the tables on the driver who struck them after chasing him into Miami-Dade County.
That suspect was temporarily detained by Florida Highway Patrol and has been released.
He could be seen next to his banged-up Nissan Altima sedan, missing at least one front tire, as he awaits a warrant by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, who will be investigating the case since it started in their jurisdiction.
The incident began in the area of West Park, located around State Road 441 and Pembroke Road, at around 2 p.m., Tuesday.
According to the FHP, the driver struck several vehicles and didn’t stop.
The drivers involved chased the driver down I-95 into Miami-Dade County and stopped in the area of Miami Gardens Drive just west of the interstate.
7News cameras showed the subject with his eyes closed in the back of an FHP cruiser.
One of the victims involved in the hit-and-run said he was minding his own business when he was struck on the side of his car along with a couple other cars.
He then started chasing the subject and stopped and subdued him in Northeast Miami-Dade until law enforcement arrived.
“We chased him around for maybe 35 minutes,” he said. “He lost one of the tires, and he was on the rims, just on I-95 swinging all over the place, so we had to stop here. We had to stop here. We were waiting for the cops to show up, and now, he got arrested.”
The subject wasn’t formally arrested, however, but he was taken into custody and detained in the FHP cruiser. He has since been released from FHP custody and is free until BSO files that warrant for his arrest.
When asked if he hit several vehicles in Broward County, the driver said, “You see my hand? I got cuts to my hand. I got crushed by a Lyft.”
In a statement, BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright explained why a person accused of hitting several cars and driving off could walk away after being detained.
“Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives anticipate arresting the driver in this case for the misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident with no injuries,” Coleman-Wright said. “There are statutory limitations that dictate when law enforcement officers can and cannot make an arrest outside of their jurisdiction. To ensure the driver is held accountable for his actions, detectives will submit out-of-custody arrest paperwork to the Broward State Attorney’s Office.”
However, BSO has not said when an arrest in the case may come.
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