What started as a routine noise stop on South Beach turned into a late-night pursuit Tuesday, after a Corvette driver slammed into a marked Miami Beach patrol car, then took off, police said.
Surveillance video shows an officer yelling and trying to stop the sports car as it peels away down a block near the beach. Investigators later used that footage, along with license-plate data, to track down a suspect and make an arrest, according to authorities.
As reported by WSVN, the stop began just after 10 p.m. on 9th Street east of Collins Avenue, when an officer approached the Corvette over loud music. Police identified the driver as 26-year-old Anthony Banks of Georgia and say he told the officer he was going to back up but instead hit the gas, striking the patrol car before speeding away.
License-plate readers on the MacArthur Causeway reportedly captured the Corvette as it left the island, and a bulletin went out to neighboring agencies. City of Miami officers later found Banks at a 24/7 car wash at Northeast 2nd Avenue and 29th Street, where authorities say he was trying to wash evidence off the vehicle, WSVN reported. Banks remained in jail late Wednesday night and was expected to appear in court Thursday, according to the outlet.
Surveillance and witness accounts
Security cameras at the Sherbrooke Hotel captured the tense moment the Corvette sped away. In the video, an officer can be heard shouting, "Stop, stop the [expletive] car," as the vehicle corners and takes off.
Mitch Novick, the hotel’s owner, told reporters he reviewed the footage and shared it with investigators, saying, "The Corvette smashed into the marked unit." A witness also described seeing the car take the corner and race away, as WSVN reported.
How police tracked the car
Miami and neighboring agencies use license-plate readers on causeways and major routes to help trace vehicles leaving the island, a tool that local reporting says has helped in previous cases. Coverage on the MacArthur Causeway, in particular, has been credited with helping officers follow fleeing vehicles in the past, according to WLRN.
Legal implications
Under Florida law, willfully fleeing or attempting to elude a law-enforcement officer is a felony, and causing property damage during that flight can raise the charge to aggravated fleeing or eluding. Drivers who leave the scene of a crash face separate criminal penalties under the state’s hit-and-run statutes.
Penalties vary based on the circumstances and can increase sharply if someone is seriously hurt or killed, including mandatory minimum prison terms in aggravated cases, according to section 316.1935 as published by the Florida Senate and section 316.061 listed by the Florida Legislature.
Investigators had not released formal charges publicly by Wednesday night, and Miami Beach police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. We will update if prosecutors file charges or the department issues an official statement.
