A drive along Interstate 95 in northern Miami-Dade turned into a criminal case on Saturday, with police accusing 32-year-old Nathan Romero of trying to run over two men before crashing into a concrete wall and an unmarked police car.
Authorities say the two men managed to jump out of the vehicle’s path and were not hit. After the crash, officers say Romero stepped out of his car holding a knife. According to police, he discarded the weapon when ordered and surrendered at the scene.
How police say the crash unfolded
An arrest report cited by Local 10 states that Romero was behind the wheel of a black Toyota Corolla on I-95 near the Miami Gardens Drive exit when the chaos began. Investigators say he reversed into a black Mitsubishi, then drove “towards both victims” in what officers described as an apparent attempt to run them down.
The report says both men were able to leap out of the way. The Corolla then struck the Mitsubishi and an unmarked sergeant’s vehicle before coming to a stop. Police say Romero exited the car armed with a knife, was ordered to drop it, threw the knife aside and was taken into custody.
Charges and legal stakes
Prosecutors have charged Romero with aggravated battery on a law-enforcement officer and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the arrest report. Under Florida law, aggravated battery covers a battery that causes great bodily harm or involves a deadly weapon and is typically a second-degree felony.
Florida statutes also allow for tougher classifications and penalties when the victim is a law-enforcement officer. Those rules are laid out in Florida Statutes §784.045 and §784.07, which spell out the aggravated battery elements and the reclassification rules when an officer is involved.
Arrest, hospital and court status
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took Romero to Jackson Memorial North Hospital after the incident. He was later booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center shortly after 7:55 p.m. on Saturday, Local 10 reports.
A judge denied bond on the aggravated-battery-on-an-officer charge and set $15,000 bonds for each of the other two aggravated-battery counts, according to the outlet. A separate reckless-driving warrant carried a $500 bond. Florida Highway Patrol troopers documented the crashes while investigators continued to review the case.
What happens next
The investigation remains open, and the case will continue through the Miami-Dade court system as prosecutors examine the arrest report and related evidence. If Romero is convicted, the aggravated-battery charges could expose him to a significant prison term under Florida’s sentencing structure.
