Police: Miami Lakes Mayor Crashes Into Tree & Leaves

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Flamboyant Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi is a winner.  He beat federal corruption charges, he won reinstatement as mayor, but he lost a round with an oak tree near his home Monday night.

Police were called to a report of a new, four-door Kia that had crashed head-on into a tree on NW 82nd Ave near Commerce Way.  When cops arrived, no one was in the car.

"They observed what they thought was fresh blood in the vehicle," said Miami-Dade Police Lieutenant John Jenkins.  "They did an area canvas, walked around the area trying to look for somebody that may be injured."

After a while however Mayor Michael Pizzi returned to the accident scene, said he had hit the tree, and walked to a nearby friend's house for help with a gash on his forehead.

Click here to watch Gary Nelson's report. 

Police say Pizzi told them he swerved to avoid a dark animal in the roadway and hit the tree instead. He was not asked or required to submit to an alcohol test.

"There was no need to," Jenkins said. "There was no evidence or signs of impairment of any sort."

While traffic homicide investigators were called to the scene, police took no photographs of the car or the mayor.

Members of the Miami Lakes district swarmed the accident scene.  The first officer arrived at 8:36 p.m.

Three officers, a Sargent and a major, we're on the scene for a total of some 5 1/2 hours.

A Traffic Homicide investigator included in his report that the mayor had operated his car in a "careless or negligent" manner. However, when there are no witnesses to an accident police are not permitted to issue a citation.

Pizzi released a statement Tuesday afternoon that reads, "Like any other human being, I can have a traffic accident. Thank God no one was injured and there were no other cars involved and the only property damage was to my car and a tree, which I hope it survives. I am happy that all of the police officers found me to be cooperative and respectful. I am grateful that I was not injured and want to thank those who have reach out to me to express their concerns."