MIAMI (WSVN) - One of two students who, police said, were severely injured in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood shared his account of the crash that sent him and his longtime friend to the hospital.
Ian Edelman spoke earlier this week about his long road to recovery in the aftermath of the Dec. 18 crash.
“I definitely do feel lucky,” he said. “It’s pretty much a miracle that I’m able to at least walk.”
7News obtained surveillance footage of the crime at Brickell City Centre that injured the students and one other person.
The SUV flew into Jason Greenfield, a University of Miami medical student, and Edelman, his childhood friend, who attends Colombia Dental School in New York.
At the moment, neither of them can get back to their studies or life as they knew it.
“We literally got run over by a large SUV from behind, going confirmed over 50 miles an hour,” said Edelman.
Edelman spoke on “The Wake Up the Sun Podcast” with Matt Williams.
The show’s Instagram page shared photos of the 25-year-old in recovery from the wreck.
Detectives said a Dodge Durango was possibly racing with two other vehicles on Southeast Seventh Street and was speeding when the driver lost control.
Edelman and Greenfield were seen strolling along the sidewalk with who appears to be the woman also mentioned in a recently released Miami Police crash report. She was not seriously injured.
Surveillance video shows the SUV jumping the curb, smashing into the men and a Brickell City Center wall before coming to a stop in the landscaping and on the sidewalk.
The crash report states, “The driver and a [redacted] passenger fled the scene each in one of the other vehicles that were possibly racing with vehicle number one.”
City of Miami Police have had this case since the morning it happened. Despite an SUV being left behind at the scene and collected as evidence, they haven’t released any information on suspects, persons of interest or any additional video of the still unsolved hit-and-run.
Sources with knowledge of the case said police are awaiting results of DNA testing done at the scene.
“It’s the absolute worst nightmare,” said Edelman’s father, Len Edelman.
Len spoke to 7News a few days after the tragedy.
“One moment everything is great with a beautiful future, and the next moment your whole life could be over just like that, boom,” said Len. “He’s alive, and we’re just so fortunate that he’s alive.”
“It’s gonna take some time for me to like, fully process it,” said Edelman, “like, kinda understand how lucky I am.”
If you have any information on this hit-and-run, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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