Dirt Bike Fleeing Miami Beach Police Hits Girl, 11, on Ocean Drive

An 11-year-old girl suffered minor injuries Saturday night after a dirt bike rider fleeing Miami Beach police struck her on Ocean Drive, in the heart of the city's Art Deco cultural district. The rider kept driving after hitting the girl, and the remaining bikers in the group scattered from the scene, according to an arrest report.

The chaos began when a group of bikers gathered on Collins Avenue, and officers tracked them to the 700 block of Ocean Drive, according to WSVN 7News. Riders had reportedly gone northbound in southbound lanes, stopped in bike lanes, and ridden recklessly through the pedestrian-heavy strip, police said. Two of the bikers were seen carrying women as passengers in front of them as they moved through the area.

When Miami Beach officers approached the group on foot rather than initiating a vehicle chase, the bikers fled. One rider drove onto the sidewalk and collided with the 11-year-old girl before continuing on, per the outlet's report.

Witness Describes Rider Fleeing Without Looking Back

Tony Cruz, who witnessed the incident, said the rider took off without any consideration for the people at the scene. Cruz told the outlet he felt bad for the girl, and concerned citizens who saw the collision called 911 as the bikers scattered.

Detectives later caught up to Kaashun Williams, identifying him as the fleeing rider. Williams had an outstanding warrant for drag racing, court records show, and now faces multiple charges including stunt driving and reckless driving. His blue bike was towed away from the scene and taken to the jail as evidence.

Commissioner Calls Situation a Public Safety Nightmare

Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez said stunt bikers repeatedly commit crimes over many years, describing the situation on Ocean Drive as a public safety nightmare. Witnesses who spoke with the outlet said they hoped for change soon.

The officers' decision to approach the group on foot rather than chase them by vehicle reflects a broader tension facing Miami-Dade law enforcement. Pursuit guidelines across the county generally restrict high-speed vehicular chases to violent felonies, since the Florida Department of Law Enforcement notes that national data shows more than 300 people die annually in police pursuits. That policy is meant to protect bystanders in congested corridors like Ocean Drive, but it also means fleeing riders can outrun officers on foot before a chase ever begins.

State Law Already Targets Stunt Riding and Street Takeovers

Florida lawmakers overhauled the state's stunt driving statute in 2024, classifying stunt exhibitions and drag racing as first-degree misdemeanors that carry mandatory license revocations of at least a year, fines up to $1,000, and possible 30-day vehicle impoundments for first-time offenders, according to The Ticket Clinic. Separately, off-highway dirt bikes and ATVs are barred outright from paved public roads under state law, since standard off-road models lack the DOT-approved headlights, mirrors, turn signals, and license plates required for street use.

The Miami Beach Police Department issued public notices earlier this year warning that ATVs, dirt bikes, and unregistered off-road vehicles are strictly illegal on all city streets and roadways, and that violators face citation and vehicle impoundment. Group takeovers carry even steeper consequences: as of July 2024, Florida law makes participation in a street takeover involving 10 or more vehicles a felony, with mandatory fines between $2,500 and $4,000, law enforcement officials told WPLG Local 10 during a public safety briefing earlier this year.

Despite the elevated penalties, similar incidents have kept surfacing across Miami-Dade. In April, a dirt bike rider trying to flee police in Wynwood lost control and struck a pedestrian, sending that victim to the hospital and leading to the rider's arrest. In November 2025, a rider participating in an illegal takeover on the Rickenbacker Causeway slammed into an active police car and was arrested on two felony charges.

Enforcement Sweeps Have Yielded Hundreds of Arrests

Miami-Dade agencies have periodically launched coordinated crackdowns on illegal riding. During a multi-agency holiday enforcement push in January 2024, officers made 169 arrests, issued 693 traffic citations, and impounded 83 vehicles across the county, per CBS News. Group street rides have also drawn scrutiny tied to South Florida's Wheels Up, Guns Down movement, which activist Dwight C. Wells originally created to promote anti-violence before he was fatally shot in Liberty City last October.

Hoodline has previously reported on the risks tied to off-road vehicle pursuits in the county, including an 18-mile pursuit after an intersection takeover in which an off-road vehicle struck an officer. Williams faces multiple charges stemming from Saturday's incident, and it remains unclear whether any additional riders from the group that scattered on Ocean Drive will face charges.