MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade fire rescue teams rescued two people on Friday whose vehicle crashed into a containment pond. Witnesses said the driver may have been trying to avoid another car when the van entered the murky waters.
The crash occurred in the area of Southwest 117th Avenue and Eighth Street, near the Florida toll road.
Miami-Dade Police, Sweetwater Police, Miami-Dade Schools Police and the Florida Highway Patrol also responded to the scene, and spectators also initially jumped into the water after the crash. ‘accident to help.
“We tried to get into the water, but the police wouldn’t let us,” said witness Elias Moreno.
Moreno said the driver of a van tried to avoid colliding with another vehicle when he lost control.
“The car on the lake was coming down Eighth Street when he tried to avoid colliding with another car and (then) crashed into the water,” he said.
“The vehicle lost control, overturned and veered off the road into the pond behind me,” FHP Lieutenant Alex Camacho confirmed.
Announcements
Two people were hospitalized after a van crashed Friday at a detention pond in Miami-Dade County.
Several alligators were detected near the water, but this did not stop the first responders from working quickly to eliminate the victims.
Officers with long guns stayed close during the operation to make sure the alligators did not get too close.
Firefighters confirmed that two people, a man and a woman, had been pulled out of the water.
Paramedics were seen performing CPR on the two victims at the scene.
“Both were transported to Kendall Regional (Medical Center), where both are in critical condition,” Camacho said.
Authorities confirmed that a car seat was found in the van, but luckily there were no children in the vehicle.
“There was a child restraint seat in the back, so the initial concern was that there was a child in the vehicle. But divers and the Miami-Dade Rescue confirmed that they rescued the two occupants, the two adults and that there was no one else, “Camacho said.
Announcements
The Southwest Eighth Street exit ramp from the southbound lanes of the Turnpike was closed during the rescue operation.
The identities of the victims have not yet been revealed.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators are continuing to investigate exactly what caused the crash.
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