DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman was arrested in Doral after allegedly stealing a vehicle and leading police on a high-speed chase along the Palmetto Expressway, before jumping into a retention pond in an attempt to escape, authorities said.
Around 2 p.m. Thursday, 7Skyforce flew over the highway at Northwest 25th Street near the exit ramp.
According to Miami-Dade Police, the chase began northbound on the Palmetto Expressway after officers spotted a stolen silver Honda sedan with no tag.
Police said the woman had previously test-driven the silver Honda Civic from Honda of South Miami at 16165 S Dixie Highway. When the salesperson stepped out of the vehicle, the woman left the dealership with the car. She was identified as 27-year-old Melina Logan.
Miami-Dade Police Department’s Aviation unit located the vehicle a short time later in the northbound lanes of SR-826, where Logan then made a U-turn at Okeechobee Road and continued southbound the expressway.
As the driver continued on SR-826, she crashed into four vehicles before ultimately coming to a stop at the exit ramp to Northwest 25th Street. One of those drivers was Kenneth Obi, who was driving a black Mercedes.
“She rear ended me and knocked me, totaled her car by doing that, that’s what totaled her car like that, when she hit me and she kept trying to push me under the tractor trailer,” said Obi.
Obi said he feared for his life as he tried to get out of his car through the passenger side door.
“My windshield, the glass was all on me. I changed my shirt in the hospital and everything, but that was pretty scary,” said Obi.
At that point, Logan ditched the vehicle and jumped into a nearby body of water just south of Jackson West Medical Center. Obi said he saw her dive into the water.
“Like she almost hit that cliff when she jumped off. I thought she hit that cliff, I thought she was dead, but she made it into the water,” said Obi.
Multiple buoys were thrown in the water to get her out, but when she appeared to ignore them, five law enforcement officers jumped in to remove her. As police swim near her, Logan resisted their help at first, but at some point, she grabs onto a female officer and surrenders to officials. Logan, who removed her clothes while in the water, was pulled out and taken into custody.
7News cameras showed the ditched car with damage on the driver’s side.
All the cars involved have since been towed away. No injuries have been reported.
The incident caused significant traffic delays in the area but the Palmetto South, off ramp at Northwest 25th Avenue, has since reopened.
Miami-Dade Police were also seen at the South Honda car dealership in Palmetto Bay as they gathered more information about the incident.
A person told officers that Logan pulled up in a U-Haul before she took off on her test drive.
Obi said he feels lucky to be alive and be able to go home and hug his kids.
“God bless her, I hope she gets some help. But yeah, you can’t be doing things like that out here, that’s crazy. You’re putting people’s lives in danger,” he said.
Logan faces various charges including 3rd degree grand theft and two counts of battery. She is expected to appear in court on Friday.
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