MIAMI (WSVN) - A deadly hit-and-run took a dramatic turn after dash camera video showed the man who police believed caused the crash was actually an innocent victim.
A Monday morning crash along Le Jeune Road and Southwest Eighth Street left 29-year-old Junior Eugene dead.
“It’s a hit-and-run with a fatality,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner.
Police originally said Eugene was the one who ran a red light as he headed southbound on Le Jeune Road, smashing into 55-year-old Gilber Alexander Caro‘s white Chevy Tahoe and hitting a two-door white Toyota.
However, Miami Police detectives said dashcam video from the Toyota shows Eugene, who was driving a Hyundai sedan, had the green light. The driver of the Tahoe, Caro, ran the red light and left the scene of the crash.
“He fled from the crash where somebody was killed,” said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
Caro was already arrested for leaving the scene of a crash involving a death but now police said he’ll face additional charges.
Miami Police released a statement that reads in part:
“After reviewing dashcam video of the third vehicle, it is clear that Junior Eugene (deceased) had a green light and Caro had a red light. Due to this new information, additional charges will be forthcoming for Caro.”
“How long has he lived here?” said Glazer.
“Two and a half years,” said Caro.
Caro is a former Venezuelan politician. More specifically, he is a former deputy of the opposition and former political prisoner. At some point, he fled Venezuela.
He posted a photo of himself, in a suit, standing on the steps of a small jet plane on Instagram three days before the crash. The caption in Spanish detailed it’s been three years since he escaped the dictatorship.
Only for Caro to come to South Florida and leave friends and family members of Eugene devastated over the loss of his life.
“He was the type of person, when you met him, you never forgot him,” said Shanice Owens, Eugene’s best friend.
Owens said the two have been best friends since high school. Now she can barely believe this harsh reality.
“I didn’t think it was real. I just kept asking his brother, ‘Like, is he telling the truth?'” she said.
Owens said she wishes Caro would have done the right thing to save Eugene’s life.
“He should have stayed there. We probably would still have him here today. I hope he gets what he deserves,” she said.
Caro will face additional charges but is currently in the custody of ICE because of an immigration hold on his case.
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