Cause Of Gruesome Miami Crash Under Investigation
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Investigators are trying to figure out what caused a gruesome crash in Miami that killed two people when a speeding, stolen car struck and killed a bicyclist.
Cellphone captured a fiery inferno at northwest 53rd Street and 12th Avenue on Monday night.
Two men were killed after a vehicle hit a bicyclist then struck a light pole, tree and a home. The scene was so stunning that some witnesses posted their own video on Facebook.
Venda West told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that she was horrified by the images she saw of the car that struck her home and by the senseless loss of life.
"I'm asking for everyone to pray, to please pray for the families of the lost," said West. "This is about what happened to these people and their families who are suffering. I am a little shook up. I was not home when this happened. When they told me, I was right around the corner. I heard my house was on fire but it did not catch fire."
"I didn't know the people involved in this crash but I feel terrible for them," West added.
The violent crash was extremely gruesome.
"After the car hit, there were flames and everyone was running and we tried to help the guy in the car," said Good Samaritan Richard Smith who tried to help those involved in the accident. "While this was happening, we tried to get a fire extinguisher. I tried to help but I couldn't get around. I was trying to help and get him out and save a life but the car was so mangled."
Miami Police said the vehicle that was reported stolen from the Sunny Isles Beach area was speeding on Northwest 12th Avenue.
"As soon as this vehicle approaches 54th Street, it strikes a cyclist that was at the intersection," said City of Miami Police Lt. Freddie Cruz.
"It actually caused the bicyclist to be thrown into the air. The vehicle's still traveling southbound and it collides with a tree in front of a house and burst into flames," said Capt. Ignatius Carroll with City of Miami Fire Rescue.
The impact was so severe that it broke the tree in half and caught the attention of people at a nearby busy shopping center.
"I just saw everybody running pretty much that way and the cops and the firefighters came right away," said Mayuli Bas who heard the crash.
According to City of Miami Fire Rescue, the bicyclist sustained severe trauma to his body but it was too gruesome to fully describe.
"This has got to be one of the most gruesome and violent crashes that I have ever seen in my career," said Carroll.
"Anybody could have gotten killed. There are children. It's a residential area. It's very scary," said Bas.
As the investigation continues, flowers mark the scene of the gruesome crash.
Police said they did not know if alcohol was a factor.
Sunny Isles Beach Police told CBS4 that the car was stolen on October 27th from a fast food restaurant parking lot at 18108 Collins Ave. The owner of the car told D'Oench he did not want to comment.
