MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Tempers flared and rubber burned on the streets of South Beach this past weekend after a traffic mishap led to a brief chase involving luxury cars, and it was all caught on camera.
The crash-bang-boom chain of events kicked off Saturday morning at the corner of Ninth Street and Collins Avenue, where surveillance cameras at the Sherbrooke Hotel showed men on the sidewalk outside a rented BMW on Ninth Street. The convertible is seen backing up and hitting a dark colored Mercedes SUV that had just pulled up.
That’s when someone from the street rushed the BMW driver’s window, causing him to accelerate and smash a light pole. The motorist then threw the convertible in reverse and stopped the car before he and one other person exited it.
One of the men is then seen running toward the SUV that was just rammed, as its driver tries to get away.
The BMW’s driver then got back into his car to chase the Mercedes. Shortly after, the “beemer” is seen catching up to the SUV and ramming it as the larger vehicle makes a left and speeds southbound on Collins Avenue.
Moments later, the BMW driver is seen turning around to pick up his passenger before screeching toward Ocean Drive.
Miami Beach Police Chief Daniel Oates released a statement, Tuesday, which read, “We are making progress on the hit-and-run investigation from Saturday. We have seized the rental car in question and hope to identify the driver soon. Despite this unfortunate event, we have generally experienced a calm Spring Break so far. We have had thousands of visitors from around the world enjoying Miami Beach and Ocean Drive. We will be adding more security in the vicinity of 9th Street and Ocean Drive for the remainder of Spring Break. As always, we appreciate and rely on our residents and businesses to be our eyes and ears, as our officers cannot be everywhere at all times.”
The vehicular mayhem, posted on the Facebook page of South Beach Sludge Report, is the most recent in a string of episodes of chaotic street scenes unfolding on a surveillance camera owned by the Sherbrooke Hotel. On March 18, video showed a mob stampeding in the street, an incident reportedly caused by someone waving a gun.
Cameras also captured a scuffle in the middle of an intersection. Earlier that morning, a woman was seen twerking in the middle of the street, and the impromptu dance party made for a different kind of traffic jam.
On March 14, cameras rolled as a burglar broke into and stole a truck in broad daylight.
A Miami Beach Police cruiser was seen driving down Ninth Street past the scene of Saturday’s chase, but the time of morning when this happened is unclear.
Police told 7News they are looking into the incident.
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