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FHP: Wrong Way Driver Stabbed Girlfriend Before Causing Deadly Multi-Vehicle Crash

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A man accused of driving the wrong way on I-95 and causing a deadly multi-vehicle crash is facing a slew of charges.

Florida Highway Patrol spokesman, Lt. Alex Camacho, tells CBS4'S Peter D'Oench that the victim is from Germany and has been identified as college student Mathias Akwa.

Friday afternoon, CBS4 News learned that Akwa had been in the states for less than a year.

William Ronald Ferguson's arrest report revealed Friday that he may have been under the influence of drugs before he got behind the wheel of his vehicle.

Ferguson, 27, was involved in a fight with his girlfriend in Miami before jumping into a Kia SUV and driving off, according to police.

His girlfriend told investigators that they had just arrived from Ohio and had gone to buy diapers for her daughter. She said he went downstairs to get their belongings and when he returned he seemed paranoid, saying people were watching him and they had to leave.

She said he then asked her if she wanted to hurt him.

The woman said he then locked the door of the apartment and they began to argue. At one point, she said he pulled out a knife and stabbed her twice on the left side of her neck and on her upper left arm. She said she ran to another room and locked the door.

Ferguson reportedly kicked in the door, but when the woman started screaming for help he took off.

The Florida Highway Patrol said he ended up ended traveling northbound in the southbound express lanes on I-95.

"Several of our troopers patrolling the area observed the vehicle driving at a high rate of speed in a reckless manner," said Lt. Alex Camacho with Florida Highway Patrol. "Troopers also radioed it into our dispatch center and attempted to overtake that vehicle to stop him."

Ferguson reportedly struck four other vehicles before coming to stop at near 103rd Street.

"The vehicle collided, multiple collisions, with several vehicles," Camacho said. "One of them being a head-on collision. The victim of that head-on collision was unfortunately confirmed deceased on the scene."

The FHP has only said that the person who died was an adult male, they have not released his name.

Ferguson was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center where he was treated for a broken arm.

Camacho said Ferguson will face a slew of charges in the crash and Miami Police spokeswomen Officer Kenia Fallat said Ferguson has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the Miami case. She said the victim was taken to the hospital after the attack on her.

Camacho said even though Ferguson struck several other vehicles, he was the only one who needed to be taken to a hospital.

Camacho says it is not clear at this point how he ended up driving the wrong way on I 95.

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