NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Three people were injured and hospitalized after an SUV collided with a building in Northwest Miami-Dade early Monday morning.
The crash occurred around midnight at a local business on Northwest 22nd Avenue, sending three individuals to the hospital. Video footage of the aftermath showed a large hole in the side of the building and significant debris scattered around the crash site.
“It’s gonna be a one car accident. It’s gonna be a vehicle versus a building,” radioed an officer after arriving on scene.
Earlier footage captured the Ford SUV lodged into the concrete wall. The vehicle reportedly carried three people.
An employee who was inside the building at the time of the crash said that three customers and two employees were present when the collision occurred. The witness described the entire building shaking from the impact.
“I was working inside the kitchen, all of a sudden we heard a crash, the whole building shook,” said Abe Assria.
“We thought it was on the other side,” said Assria. “That’s how powerful the hit was.”
Upon exiting the building, they found three individuals trapped inside the SUV and screaming for help.
When emergency responders arrived, they extricated the occupant and transported them to a nearby hospital. The business plans to reopen later, but the witness expressed concern for the injured individuals. The condition of the occupants remains unknown.
“The hole in the wall is going to be fixed. That’s not the issue. I’m concerned about the guys, if anything, you know,” said Assria.
Sources tell 7News that the reason the SUV crashed into the business is because the driver was trying to avoid another car who cut them off, forcing them to swerve into fence and ultimately crashing into the building. According to Assria, the street is notorious for accidents.
“This corner is so bad,” he said. “[There have been] at least three or four car accidents right in this corner, same corner. I don’t know what’s going on.”
7News spoke with a man who said he was feet away from the crash. He said he was sitting against the building from where the car landed.
“The car came out from there and then it was sliding. ‘”Skrrr.” But it hit this wall and that’s what stopped it from towards me,”said Haskell Washington. “It was right there in my face, wasn’t nothing I could do.”
He says his life flashed before his eyes and now Mr.Washington is counting his blessings.
“Lived to see another day man. Thankful to be alive. I’m still here. Right here,” he said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. No word from police if they are looking for the driver of the vehicle that cut the SUV off.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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