NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A federal fugitive slammed into a car and an unmarked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office unit while fleeing a traffic stop in Northwest Miami-Dade, leaving a civilian driver dead and leading to the fugitive’s arrest, authorities said.
Investigators on Thursday morning provided further details about the violent deputy-involved rollover crash that took place in the area of Northwest 51st Terrace and 33rd Avenue, Wednesday night.
According to detectives, deputies with the agency’s Robbery Intervention Detail conducted a traffic stop on Wednesday evening, during which they discovered that the driver had an outstanding warrant.
Moments later, detectives said, the driver took off.
As more RID units responded, authorities said, the subject entered a dead-end street wihile he was trailed by an unmarked MDSO unit.
Surveillance video shows the subject’s black sedan speeding in one direction, then going back in another direction.
After turning around, detectives said, the subject ran a stop sign and slammed into a civilian car that had the right of way, causing it to overturn.
Investigators said the impact caused both vehicles to hit a white unmarked MDSO unit that was occupied by a RID deputy who was in the area searching for the subject.
Area resident Oneida Marquez said she heard a deafening noise.
“A big boom, like very loud,” she said.
A witness who identified himself as Alex shared what he saw at the scene.
“So I just heard a little commotion outside, heard a little bit bang, and I ran outside, seen it, and it was a car flipped over, and then a bunch of police came. That was about it,” he said.
Marquez later discovered that her surveillance camera captured the whole crash.
“We were like, ‘Oh, [expletive], something bad happened outside,” she said. “And we ran, like, we ran outside, and then we saw the car accident.”
The security footage captured the suspect as he got out of his car and deputies closed in with their guns drawn.
The suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Luis Manuel Perez, was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital for evaluation. The RID deputy involved in the crash was treated at the scene and was OK
First responders extricated the civilian driver from the overturned vehicle and rushed the patient to the hospital in critical condition. The motorist was later pronounced dead.
Authorities said Perez was wanted for military desertion, which is essentially deserting his duties without authorization. He was placed under arrest on Thursday and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
“Why couldn’t he just stop? Like, so many people have died because people have reckless driving, and it’s just crazy to see how somebody can do something in a matter of seconds,” said Marquez.
Perez is being held without bond in relation to the military desertion charge. As for the charges in connection to Wednesday’s crash, MDSO Traffic Homicide detectives said they are forthcoming..
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