An 11-year-old boy was seriously injured Tuesday morning after a driver racing to get around slow traffic jumped a grassy swale, slammed into a tree and then hit the child in Miami Gardens. Rescue crews airlifted the boy to Ryder Trauma Center with a serious but stable head injury, and police took the motorist into custody on reckless-driving allegations. Neighbors who watched the crash unfold described the impact as explosive and said the scene left the entire block on edge.
Police: Driver allegedly tried to skirt traffic
Miami Gardens police say the crash happened just before 8 a.m. in the 1200 block of Northwest 188th Street, near Northwest 12th Avenue. According to CBS News Miami, officers said the driver of a black Ford Fusion was traveling at a high rate of speed, veered onto the swale to pass slow-moving vehicles, hit a tree and then struck the boy. The driver was arrested at the scene and is expected to face reckless-driving charges, police said.
Video and witness accounts show chaos
A neighbor's security camera captured the Fusion tearing through the intersection, swinging around another car on the swale and then the violent crash. The clip includes the blare of a horn, the sound of the impact and screams in the aftermath. “I said, 'Ahh' because I thought the boy has died,” neighbor Rose Emine told Local 10 after the car plowed through her fence. Neighbors said they rushed toward the child and tried to help him before first responders arrived.
Child flown to Ryder Trauma Center
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue airlifted the boy to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, and broadcasters reported he arrived with serious but stable head injuries. A rescue helicopter landed near Miami Norland Senior High School while crews transferred the patient and investigators examined the debris-strewn scene. Officials have not released the names of the child or the driver as the investigation continues, according to WSVN.
Neighbors demand more enforcement
Residents say speeding and crashes are a chronic worry on their streets and are calling for more traffic enforcement, especially during school hours. “We need to pray for that child and family,” one neighbor said, according to Local 10, as many urged city officials to put more patrol cars and visible enforcement near schools. Neighbors said they want quicker, consistent action to keep another child from getting hurt the same way.
Legal snapshot
Miami Gardens police say the driver faces reckless-driving charges and was taken into custody while detectives continue their work on the case. Prosecutors will review the police report and other evidence, and formal charges could follow as the case moves forward, according to CBS News Miami.
Authorities say the investigation remains active, and no additional details have been released about the boy's condition or the driver's identity, per WSVN. The sedan was later towed from the scene, and Miami Gardens police are reviewing all available video as they piece together what happened in the moments before the crash.
