MIAMI – A fiery crash on Miami’s Venetian Causeway has one person hospitalized in critical condition and a burnt-up Mercedes-Maybach left behind.
Police say the car was speeding eastbound toward Miami Beach early Friday morning when the driver lost control.
After the car caught on fire, two people inside escaped quickly, but a third was stuck for several minutes. Witnesses say two officers first on scene grabbed a nearby garden hose and doused the man in an effort to put out the flames on his body as they worked to get him out.
All three were transported by ambulance to a hospital. Two are expected to be OK, the other is in critical condition.
“Somewhere the driver lost control, hit the median, hit some trees, continued to go eastbound,” said Commander Freddie Cruz of the Miami Police Department.
The car crashed through a fence and entered the backyard of a nearby home before it eventually came to a stop and caught fire.
“My husband and I were sleeping and we heard a big thump noise,” said Vivien Nouel, whose backyard was torn up by the Maybach. “I can’t believe it went over the pool and it hit a column that supports my son’s bedroom.”
Neighbor Renaud Voura said of the sound: “I thought it was a bomb. I thought a bomb exploded.”
The burnt car sat on NE 12th Place for several hours as police investigated.
The Venetian Causeway was shut down in both directions for a matter of hours Friday morning but it has since reopened.
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