MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A man was killed after he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree outside of a Miami Gardens home, causing him to be ejected and the vehicle to be split in two.
Miami Gardens Police received a call about the crash at around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Investigators said the victim, identified as 26-year-old Jordan Joseph, was traveling along the 1300 block of Northwest 199th Street at a high rate of speed when he clipped another driver.
That motorist, LaQuinta Hollinshead, said she was coming home from work when she saw a car racing toward her.
“I looked up in the rearview mirror and noticed some headlights coming at me really, really fast,” she said.
Hollinshead said she tried to maneuver her car in an attempt to avoid a collision.
“At that time, I veered to the left into oncoming traffic, just trying not to take a direct hit from behind,” she said.
But the erratic driver clipped the back end of Hollinshead’s vehicle.
“He hit the passenger rear of my car, then his car went barreling into the air, on fire, into other people’s trees, cars and houses,” she said.
Witnesses said Joseph’s black Toyota Camry went airborne, barreling through a fence and taking out a street sign and a light pole before landing upright.
”There’s a car up in the tree, and it was smoking,” said witness Robert Raines. “I said, ‘Get back because it might explode.'”
Police said Joseph was killed on impact.
Witnesses said he was ejected in midair.
“I walked out and saw the young man lying on the ground,” said witness Polly Raines.
No one else was hurt.
7News cameras captured the overturned Camry, left in a ball of twisted and mangled metal. It was later towed from the scene.
Polly said she’s thankful she came out to her driveway later than she usually does.
“At the time of that sound, it would have been my time to come out of my driveway, come this way and walk like I do every morning, but I was delayed,” she said, “and so thank God I was delayed, because that saved my life.”
Police took the opportunity to advise motorists to observe caution when driving during this holiday season.
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