MIAMI (WSVN) - Newly surfaced surveillance video captured a sports car that barreled into a parking lot in Northwest Miami-Dade, sending three people to the hospital on Thanksgiving Day.
The footage shows the blue Dodge Charger as it careened toward the parking lot of a convenience store along Northwest 27th Avenue, near 53rd Street, in the Brownsville neighborhood, just before 4 p.m., Thursday.
Witness Jerry Lewis said the driver of the Charger was racing another car moments before the violent wreck.
“He came across 27th Avenue. He was in the air,” he said.
Another witness, who identified herself as Angel, said she saw the Charger prior to the crash.
“I was just on the balcony talking on the phone, and then I just seen a car, and the car, it just started sliding across,” she said.
When the car became airborne, Lewis said, it crossed over the northbound lanes and ended up near the parking lot where earlier that day he was serving the homeless a holiday meal.
“Yeah, I barbecued for the homeless people today,” he said.
Lewis said the car came flying toward him and his crew as they were watching a football game.
“Oh, man, it was like a movie, like everything was flying toward us: the debris, the motor parts and everything,” he said.
Debris hit two people in the parking lot.
Lewis said his Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which was parked in the lot, was also hit, but that may have ultimately saved lives.
“See, he hit my car. That stopped them from running everybody over,” he said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews had to pull the driver of the Charger from the mangled vehicle.
Paramedics transported the motorist to Ryder Trauma Center by ambulance. As of Friday night, the patient’s condition remains unknown.
The people who were injured by debris were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment. They’re expected to be OK.
As the Charger was towed away, Lewis said he’s just thankful he, his friends and the homeless people he was serving were all OK.
“Yeah, man, they could have killed somebody,” he said.
Police continue to search for the driver of the second vehicle that was apparently involved in the drag race.
If you have any information on this crash or the second driver’s whereabouts, 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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