Chaos unfolded on the Venetian Causeway Saturday afternoon as a rollover crash involving a dark-colored SUV and a small sedan led to a significant traffic nightmare, with lanes blocked in both directions. Miami Beach Police took into custody 18-year-old Alan Morales Pastrana following the incident that left debris scattered and commuters stranded for hours.
According to NBC6, Pastrana was arrested and is facing multiple charges including fleeing and eluding a police officer, possession of crystal methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of reckless driving, one of which resulted in property damage. While police have yet to publicly identify Pastrana as the driver at the helm of the crash, social media videos circulating online depict a flipped vehicle and the subsequent arrest of a man.
The exact sequence of events leading up to the crash is still under investigation. Videos sourced from bystanders and shared to NBC6's X feed showed the aftermath of the accident with one vehicle on its side and another severely damaged. Amid the wreckage, one person was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center, however their condition remains undisclosed.
Miami Beach Police arrested a man following a rollover crash that had both lanes of the Venetian Causeway blocked for hours: https://t.co/L7ZWr3Dh6n
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) December 24, 2023
Crowds that gathered at the intersection of East Dilido Drive and Venetian Causeway watched as emergency responders worked to clear the scene and restore order to the shaken causeway. Miami Beach Police did not confirm whether the handcuffed man, seen being taken away in the released footage, was indeed Pastrana.
As the Miami Beach community grapples with the restorative efforts post-accident, further details about the incident and the condition of the hospitalized individual are expected to emerge. Miami Beach Police urge anyone with information about the crash to come forward as the investigation continues.
