Two Dead In Miami Crash, Police Search For Second Vehicle
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Two people are dead after a violent crash in Miami.
It happened at Southwest 1st Avenue and 25th Road, near the exit for the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Miami police say a four-door Hyundai and a white Ford Sport Trac were speeding down I-95 just after 5 a.m. on Monday. There are unconfirmed reports of gunfire before the crash.
"We have no confirmation on gunfire. However, we do know that they were speeding, we don't know if they were chasing each other or if they were just speeding or racing each other," said Officer Michael Vega.
Investigators said the Hyundai hit a guardrail before it slammed into a tree. Police say the female driving the car and a female passenger in the rear were killed in the crash.
A third person in the Hyundai took off on foot.
"One fled the scene and ran two blocks to where police located him and called for fire rescue," said Vega.
Vega said the Hyundai caught fire.
The man was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center where he's listed in critical condition. Police are anxious to talk to him.
"Then we'll see if these two vehicles were going at each other, if it's road rage, or what it is that caused them to be speeding and get into this car accident," said Vega.
"It's shocking to see that so early in the morning that two people have lost their lives," said Vega.
Neighbor Daniel Molina stopped at the scene after the Hyundai was removed and where there are some striking signs of this tragedy that took two lives. There is debris everywhere after the Hyundai hit a guardrail and scraped bark from a tree.
Molina, who has lived near the exit ramp for 25 years, told CBS4'S Peter D'Oench, "There have been a lot of casualties here over the years. I don't know what caused this accident but often times people tend to speed while coming off I-95 southbound and going downhill on this exit ramp towards Key Biscayne."
"Sometimes they go too fast not knowing whether to turn left right away or right or go further down towards the left turn towards Key Biscayne," he said. "This is terrible what happened here."
After the crash, the driver of the truck stopped briefly before taking off. Police are looking for that driver.
They do not have a description of him but they tweet a photo of what the Ford Sport Trac looks like.
They are also looking for surveillance tape and witnesses who can help them.
Anyone with information that can help them should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
