NW Miami-Dade Hit-&-Run Crash Leaves 1 Dead

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Miami man died in a violent high-speed hit-and-run crash early Monday morning.

A friend identified the victim as 23-year-old Chris Lopez.

Surveillance from an auto body shop shows a Toyota Sienna van travelling east on NW 119 Street at 23 Avenue around 12:30 a.m.

Next, you see a red Dodge Charger speeding behind and slamming into the back of the van.

After the collision, the driver in the Dodge Charger ran from the scene, abandoning the badly damaged car.

Seven young men were in the van that was rear-ended, and all were transported to nearby hospitals.

Five victims were taken to Ryder Trauma Center.

According to police, Lopez was a passenger in the back seat of the Toyota van. He died of his injuries at Ryder.

"Some of you may have known Chris in school as a competitive debate student or as a goofball that we all knew and loved, but outside of that he was so much more. He was kind, compassionate, always sought out to help others before himself, and most importantly, he was a good friend," said his friend Jonathan Flores, who organized the GoFundMe page.

If you have any information on the crash, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers (305) 471-TIPS.