Woman In "Critical Condition" After Crash With Hialeah Cop

HIALEAH (CBS4) – Andrea Castillo, daughter of newly elected school board member Susie Castillo, remains in extremely critical condition after she was involved in a crash along E 49 Street in Hialeah Friday night.

Castillo, along with Hialeah police officer Raul Somarriba, and one other person were rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital after the accident.

The veteran officer was on duty when his unmarked cruiser collided with a black SUV at the intersection of E 49 Street and 9th Court just before 10 p.m., Hialeah Police Det. Carl Zogby said Friday night.

Castillo was a passenger in the SUV.  Police have not released the identity of the driver of the van.

Officers had to shut down a stretch of E 49 Street so an air rescue chopper could be brought in to transport the victims.

Witnesses on scene said it appeared the police cruiser crashed into the black SUV, but police said they were still investigating the cause of the crash.

The unmarked police car ended up facing northbound in the westbound lanes of E 49 Street. The black SUV flipped upside down.

It's not known if speed was a factor in the collision.

Castillo was a graduate of Ronald Reagan High in Doral; she recently turned 21 and is a student at Miami Dade College.