MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami Beach Police are adding another charge to a 24-year-old man accused of causing a deadly crash on the MacArthur Causeway.
The crash, which occurred around 12:30 a.m. Friday on Interstate 395 near Miami Beach, initially led to the arrest of 24-year-old Nicholas Robinson on charges of driving under the influence with serious injury and reckless driving.
But after the 19-year-old victim died, he has been given a vehicular homicide charge on top of his other charges.
According to police, the Maryland native was speeding at nearly 100 miles per hour and drunk when he slammed into a Jeep on the MacArthur. He was coming back from a birthday party at a South Beach bar.
A 19-year-old woman, an FIU student, identified as Gabriela Alejandra Rios Flores, was sitting in the vehicle, on the shoulder of the road, after it had broken down. The crash ejected Flores from the driver’s seat.
She was rushed to Jackson Memorial Ryder Trauma Center and succumbed to her injuries Monday.
According to the arrest report, Robinson was ordered out of the car by Miami Beach Police at gunpoint. At one point, he told officers “Why are you stopping me? It’s my birthday.”
Robinson appeared in court on Tuesday where a judge denied bond.
“Judge, I would ask that the bond stay the same,” said Robinson’s attorney.
“No. Something has changed. The victim died. He killed a 19-year-old girl. She was sitting in her car when her car broke down. The police had just helped move her vehicle to the side of the road,” said Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
In court, Glazer read the arrest report stating that Robinson was so drunk that he “had slurred speech, odor of alcohol and beverage. In fact, he didn’t even know he hit another car.”
“He was going so fast. He didn’t even know he hit her. He is an absolute danger to the community,” said Glazer.
Miami Beach Police Spokesperson Christopher Bess said the victim had a whole life ahead of her.
“19 years old and had a very bright future ahead,” said Bess. “The defendant has complete disregard for human life and his own life. Seconds before striking the victim’s vehicle, he sped past two Miami Beach police officers in marked units.”
One other person was also taken to the hospital. There’s been no update regarding their condition and the extent of their injuries remains unknown.
The crash shut down the MacArthur Causeway between Fountain Street and Fifth Street for nearly five hours, causing significant traffic congestion that extended to Biscayne Boulevard.
It appears that Rios Flores was an international student from El Salvador. Various community and church groups in that country extended their condolences to her family.
Robinson’s bond is set at $200,000.
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