MIAMI (WSVN) - A police chase of a wanted robbery suspect came to a crashing end along U.S. 1 in Miami, causing the roadway to temporarily be shut down.
City of Miami Police units were in pursuit of the suspect in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 approaching U.S. 1, just before 3 p.m., Tuesday.
The chase abruptly ended on U.S. 1 and 17th Avenue with a head-on collision between the suspect and a marked Miami Police cruiser.
City of Miami Fire Rescue was dispatched to put out a fire after one of the vehicles burst into flames.
Police said the red Honda Civic, driven by the suspect, was taken Monday night in an armed carjacking.
An officer spotted the car Tuesday in the area of Northwest 14th Avenue and 13th Street in the Allapattah neighborhood and began pursuing it.
7News cameras observed two men being questioned by police at the scene of the crash. It’s unclear what their role is in the investigation.
One of the men spoke to 7News, saying he had been struck by the vehicle police were pursuing.
“I was hit by the fugitive in the red car,” Adolfo Cruz said.
Both the officer and suspect were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital following the collision. They both appear to be OK.
After a few hours in the hospital, the officer was released with only minor bumps and bruises.
While police have not yet made a formal arrest, they are detaining the injured suspect for questioning.
“Right now he’s being detained by robbery detectives and we’re investigating further,” Miami Police spokesperson Kiara Delva said.
Several cars in the roadway also appear to have been involved in the crash. Some drivers in those cars, police said, sustained minor injuries.
7Skyforce HD captured officers diverting traffic about a block away from the scene. Motorists told 7News they were stuck in traffic for hours.
“I don’t even know. An hour and a half probably,” said one driver.
“All of a sudden we were jammed for two hours,” another driver added.
U.S. 1 was indefinitely closed between Southwest 16th and 22nd Avenues as officials worked to clear the scene. The roads have since been reopened.
Police continue to investigate the pursuit and carjacking.
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