Miami, Dade Police Hold Blood Drive For Injured Officers
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Miami and Miami-Dade Police are holding an emergency blood drive to help two officers injured in crashes.
Major Ricky Carter from Miami-Dade Police and Miami Police Officer Carlos Gomez are still at Jackson Memorial Ryder Trauma Center - both in critical condition.
Tuesday's blood drive will last until 8 p.m. in front of the Miami Police headquarters located at 400 Northwest 2nd Avenue.
Major Carter was injured in a motorcycle accident on Sunday and Officer Gomez was injured in a crash Monday morning.
Carter, a major at the Northside Police station and 21-year veteran, was traveling southbound on I-75, just north of Miami Gardens Drive, when he slid off the highway and smashed into a guardrail. No other vehicles were involved and he was off-duty and on his personal motorcycle at the time, according to police.
Carter was participating in a fundraising event called Cops Ride for Kids, headed to Islamorada. He was raising money for surviving children of fallen officers.
His family issued a statement, thanking the public for their help on Tuesday - the second day of blood drives for them.
"The Carter family has requested that we extend their heartfelt gratitude for all the prayers and the overwhelming support the community and the media has shown during this difficult time."
As for Officer Gomez, he was involved in a car crash with an off-duty Uber driver just before 4:30 a.m. on Monday. The officer was heading south on NW 2nd Avenue when he collided with another driver at the intersection of NW 29th Street.
Gomez's patrol cruiser hit a pole and slammed into a business. Gomez was trapped and had to be extricated from his cruiser.
As for the off-duty Uber driver, authorities say he may have a broken leg.
It remains unclear who was at fault in Monday's crash.
Both crashes are under investigation.
This is the second day a blood drive was held. Four other blood drives were held for the officers throughout Miami-Dade County on Monday.
