MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – One woman was killed and two were injured in a crash early Monday morning in Miami Gardens that left both cars badly mangled.
Miami Gardens police say the collision happened just before 2 a.m. in the 20700 block of Northwest 20th Avenue.
Cops say a white Mercedes SUV was speeding east on Northwest 207th Avenue and collided with a silver Kia Optima that was driving west on 207th Street.
Officers at the scene said two sisters were in the Kia. The driver died at the scene, and the passenger was airlifted to a local hospital in critical condition.
Family members identified the driver of the Kia as 31-year-old mother-to-be Eddie Pascale Aurelien, and the passenger as her sister Edwina.
“She was the life of the party, she made everything fun,” said Marjorie Lamarre, the victim’s sister. “Come to find out after this tragedy that she was two months pregnant, so that’s a blow.”
A female passenger was ejected from the Mercedes and suffered a broken sternum but is expected to be OK. Police say the man driving the Mercedes tried to carry her away while running away from the scene of the crash, but ultimately left her behind.
Detectives said they have enough DNA evidence from the scene to identify him and he is likely to face charges.
“Feet away from my door, my sister was killed instantly by someone who was speeding that didn’t even think to stop,” said Lamarre.
The Mercedes was left overturned at the scene for hours before being towed away, and glass was strewn all over the street as officers combed for information.
Attorneys for the victim’s family have since been able to uncover more information.
“The defendant was going over 90 mph,” said attorney Jany Martinez-Ward.
“He was a minor with a learner’s permit and he should not have been driving at 2 o’clock in the morning to begin with, and certainly not in the manner that he was driving,” added attorney Michael Lotto.
Parked cars in the vicinity of the crash were also damaged, and the residential area, which is close to the Robert Renick Educational Center and Hard Rock Stadium, was blocked off to traffic for much of the morning.
Bernard Thomas has lived in that Miami Gardens neighborhood for more than three decades and his red truck was among several vehicles parked on the street that were damaged.
“My neighbor woke me up and told me there’s an accident outside because I have a couple of cars outside, and when I came out and saw all the cars with the damage and there was a lady in the street,” he said.
The cars involved in the crash were towed away before 10 a.m. Police say speeding through the residential area likely played a big role in the collision, and Thomas is not surprised.
“I knew something was gonna happen seriously around here because all the cars, they [will be driving] sometimes 80-90 mph,” he said. “And it’s going to keep on going until something is done around here. Cars you can always replace, but to have somebody get killed, for what?”
A GoFundMe has been created to help with Aurelien’s funeral expenses.