Police: Man arrested in hit-and-run crash that left 1 dead, 4 injured in Liberty City

A 53-year-old antheral has been arrested successful transportation with a deadly hit-and-run clang successful Miami’s Liberty City that near 1 idiosyncratic dormant and 4 others earnestly injured past month, according to an apprehension warrant obtained by Local 10 News connected Thursday.

Authorities said Ivan Maurice Houston was down the instrumentality of a achromatic 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 erstwhile helium mislaid power and crashed into a autobus stop, striking aggregate pedestrians earlier fleeing the scene.

It happened astir 9 a.m. connected March 22 astatine the intersection of Northwest 17th Avenue and 54th Street.

Investigators said surveillance footage from adjacent businesses captured the moments starring up to the crash.

According to police, Houston’s conveyance was stopped astatine a reddish airy down a achromatic pickup motortruck erstwhile the airy turned green.

As the vehicles moved forward, investigators said Houston “for chartless reasons” abruptly accelerated astatine a precocious speed.

They said helium swerved to debar rear-ending the motortruck but mislaid control, veering onto the sidewalk and plowing done the autobus stop.

Miami constabulary confirmed that 2 radical were sitting connected the seat astatine the clip of the crash.

One of them, 47-year-old Patricia Valencia, was critically injured and rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, wherever she aboriginal died during exigency surgery, according to the warrant.

Kenneth Wilcox, 57, who was besides sitting connected the bench, suffered aggregate spinal fractures and breached ribs, the warrant stated.

Police said different pedestrian, Jamie Lee Ward, 39, who was lasting adjacent the autobus stop, sustained a fractured arm, ruptured spleen, and terrible pelvic injuries. Two passengers wrong Houston’s vehicle, Eric Johnson, 45, and Yvonne Kimbrough, 58, besides suffered superior injuries, including lung contusions and aggregate breached ribs, they said.

After the crash, constabulary said Houston and his passengers managed to exit the overturned vehicle.

They said Houston urged 2 of his injured passengers to assertion that 1 of them had been driving earlier helium fled the country connected foot, failing to render assistance to the victims.

Authorities said archetypal responders arrived astatine the country to find 2 victims trapped successful the wreckage. One idiosyncratic had to beryllium extricated from the conveyance by Miami Fire Rescue, portion different was ejected upon impact.

Police initially believed Houston had been transported to the infirmary on with the different victims, but further probe revealed helium had disappeared.

Detectives interviewed the surviving passengers and obtained statements confirming Houston had been the operator astatine the clip of the crash.

One of the passengers, aft initially claiming to beryllium the driver, aboriginal admitted Houston was down the wheel, according to the report.

Security footage from a adjacent Chevron state presumption besides showed a antheral matching Houston’s statement exiting the conveyance archetypal earlier helping different rider out.

Witnesses told constabulary they noticed a beardown odor of intoxicant connected Houston’s breath, the warrant stated.

Authorities aboriginal determined that Houston had a suspended Florida driver’s licence and was connected probation until 2028 for aggravated maltreatment of an aged oregon disabled person.

Following an extended search, constabulary obtained a warrant for Houston’s arrest.

Jail records amusement helium is present facing aggregate charges, including 5 counts of driving with a suspended licence causing decease and superior bodily injury, and 2 counts of tampering with a witness.

As of Thursday, Houston was being held connected a $70,000 enslaved astatine the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Records amusement helium was antecedently arrested connected an attempted felony execution complaint successful an unrelated case.

In the days pursuing the crash, a tiny memorial with stuffed animals and flowers was acceptable up astatine the autobus halt wherever the deadly clang occurred.

Residents of the Liberty City vicinity accidental they are heartbroken implicit the incidental and are calling for accrued postulation information measures astatine the engaged intersection.

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