NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A cross-county pursuit of a truck driver with an allegedly stolen license plate came to an end in Northwest Miami-Dade with a violent crash, a bailout and the driver in custody.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, deputies were following the vehicle, a gray Dodge Ram, in Lauderhill because its tag did not match the vehicle. Deputies continued to follow the truck as it headed toward Miami Gardens and into the area of Opa-locka.
At one point, Opa-locka Police were also following the vehicle and were going to conduct a traffic stop, but a supervisors told officers to return to their regular posts.
A BSO helicopter continued to follow the truck.
The truck then took off, and at one point, drove off the roadway into the grass in a neighborhood in Westview.
As the driver continued to elude law enforcement, the vehicle ended crossing over into the Interstate 95 area at around 135th Street.
Surveillance video from an area home captured the motorist as he parked outside and took off on foot.
It was an afternoon that homeowner Joanna Vestweber won’t soon forget.
“I was getting the groceries inside my fridge, and I heard the crash,” she said.
The truck driver careened off the road and skidded to a stop mere inches from her house, located near Northwest Sixth Avenue and 131st Street.
“My son is 5 years old. We were inside, and I got really scared because, when I heard the crash, I thought it might crash into a house, too, so I got really nervous,” said Vestweber.
Witnesses said the truck hit a white sedan before it came to rest on Vestweber’s property.
The truck driver would not get far.
7Skyforce hovered over the scene where the suspect was detained by Miami-Dade Police officers.
7News cameras also captured the driver as he sat in the back of a police cruiser. He declined to comment on the incident.
The white sedan involved in the crash sustained extensive front-end damage. The driver did not appear to be hurt.
The truck and the sedan involved in the crash were later towed away from the scene.
One school in the area was briefly placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution.
MDPD officers said the truck driver will face charges for being in a stolen truck, as well as hit-and-run related charges.
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