MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A man has died after he crashed his SUV into a canal Friday morning in southwest Miami-Dade, authorities confirmed.
The accident, which was captured on surveillance video, occurred at about 2:40 a.m. in the area of Southwest 167th Avenue and 42nd Street.
Noon report:
“The driver never pumped the brakes. The car just went through and straight into the canal,” Alberto De Armas, who lives nearby, said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies were spotted at the scene after the crash.
“I woke up and went to the bathroom, looked outside and saw fire rescue and cop cars around 3 o’clock,” Jose Morales said.
Deputies confirmed that the driver crashed his Nissan SUV through a barrier before it went into the canal.
They said the victim was transported by MDFR to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“That’s not something you wanna wake up to in the morning. That’s sad,” Morales said.
According to MDFR, divers searched the canal to ensure there was no one else in the vehicle or water. They confirmed no one else was found.
The victim’s identity has not yet been released.
A tow truck has since removed the SUV from the water.
Residents in the area told Local 10 this is far from the first time a car has ended up in the canal.
“It’s sad because this happens multiple times a year,” De Armas said. “The street does not have much signage there, and the barrier was already broken from a previous crash.”
The circumstances leading up to Friday’s crash remain under investigation.