WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Witnesses came to the rescue of a mother and her child after a car made a crashing stop into a liquor store in West Miami-Dade.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded to the University Plaza North shopping plaza, located along Southwest 16th Street and 107th Avenue, near Florida International University, at around 12:45 p.m., Tuesday.
Witnesses said the crash sounded like an explosion.
“It was a really loud sound,” said George Machado of Pro-PlayGames. “You can hear it from in here, and we’re on the second floor, so as you can imagine it was really loud.”
The liquor store is located next to an AT&T store and below Florida Career College.
“It was a big boom. We heard the boom, saw tons of smoke,” said Dr. Anthony Perez from Florida Career College.
“I just heard something explode, like really bad,” said one witness.
“It’s not a everyday thing that you see this, man,” said Joel Donoso, a witness.
Surveillance video captured Machado running out to see what happened.
Customers at Pro-Play Games described the loud impact.
“Like, whoa, and we kind of like snapped our necks and came running outside, and we saw a bunch of smoke. It was insane,” said a customer.
7SkyForce HD flew over the scene where several people could be seen standing outside of the business while a white Volvo station wagon was parked inside the store.
Students and employees of Florida Career College rushed to the woman’s rescue. Some grabbed fire extinguishers to keep the vehicle from going up in flames. Others helped the child to safety.
“Couple of our students went in to pull out the daughter, the young girl, and the mother all at the same time,” said Perez.
“They helped a lady out of the car and stuff, and they helped the daughter out, too,” said Maurice.
Among the good Samaritans who sprang into action was Michael Patrick.
“I’m in my office doing work, and next thing I know, I hear this loud boom,” he said.
Patrick said he was able to get the girl inside the Volvo to safety.
“[She was in] shock, just straight shock,” he said. “She was asking for her mom. She was just shaken.”
Donoso said the woman behind the wheel of the Volvo appeared disoriented.
“She said her son just got deployed off the military, and her foot got stuck on the accelerator,” he said. “She was wearing no shoes, so I don’t know how her foot got stuck on the accelerator, but it happened.”
Maurice said the vehicle then caught fire.
“Then the car had started back up on fire, so everybody backed up because we thought it was gonna blow up, but it didn’t,” he said.
Fortunately, the mother and daughter made it out of the vehicle without any life-threatening injuries.
It remains unclear whether or not other businesses at the shopping plaza were affected.
Police have not yet said if the driver will face any charges.
Crews are investigating the cause of the crash.
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