In an incident that disrupted journeys for countless drivers, a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy has been hospitalized following a serious crash on the Florida Turnpike in Doral early this morning. The deputy was airlifted to the hospital, and the Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed that the southbound lanes near Northwest 74th Street were closed off to allow emergency crews to manage the situation, this caused major delays as captured by traffic cameras; meanwhile, northbound lanes were also shut down stretching from Northwest 41st Street to Northwest 74th Street, as reported by Local 10.
The deputy, who at this time remains unnamed, was assisting Florida Highway Patrol officers with a traffic crash at around 7 a.m. when another vehicle hit them according to information from a published article on WSVN. Immediately after, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue stepped in to transport the injured deputy to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital; the driver of the vehicle that struck the deputy's car stayed at the scene.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed these details and added that an investigation into the crash by Sheriff’s officials is underway, aiming to piece together the chain of events leading up to this unfortunate incident. While the southbound lanes eventually reopened, traffic was snarled for a time and drivers were asked to seek alternative routes to avoid the scene.
The Florida Highway Patrol is overseeing traffic control while the official investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office delves into the crash's cause, and with the northbound Turnpike lanes closed as a result of the accident, motorists were advised to be mindful of the closures and to plan their travels accordingly as these disruptions unfolded.
