New Surveillance Tape Shows Moments Before Deadly Hialeah Crash
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HIALEAH (CBSMiami) – New surveillance tape obtained by CBS4 shows the chilling moments before a crash in Hialeah that claimed the life of a 54-year-old Miami man who was unloading furniture from a parked box truck.
"It's breathtaking," said Louis Collazo, who owns Collazo's Secret Thrift shop next to where the crash happened after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1375 E 10th Ave.
Collazo told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that he looked at the surveillance tape from a nearby business that captured the crash and was stunned.
The tape shows Franklin Burn behind the box truck as Rafael Rodriguez was inside the cargo area. Police said an SUV driven by 57-year-old Juan Milan of West Park was going southbound on East 10th Ave. when he veered into a middle lane, striking Burn.
The impact was so severe that it knocked the truck out of the picture and it is so graphic that CBS4 is not showing viewers what happened when Burn was struck.
"I heard the noise at the warehouse,and at first I thought it was one of my customers and I ran outside and saw the SUV in the middle of the road," said Collazo. "And then I even saw the truck driver running after his truck so it wouldn't get in another accident. I saw the video. I couldn't believe that this happened. But now you can see how it happened.
"He must have been on drugs or have been drunk or on something or texting. How could he have veered in to that middle lane where the person was stopped. And the man outside was wearing an orange hat and I think he had on a red shirt. He didn't put on his brakes. There were no skid marks."
Angel Blanco, who works at a nearby business and who heard the accident, agrees.
"I just heard a huge noise for this big crash. I didn't hear the squeal of tires. Once I heard the crash I came outside and I called 911," he said. "Last week my dog got killed when he ran out on this E 10th Ave. People go by here way too fast."
Collazo added, "I also feel bad for the owner of the truck. He sells everything over here and I just couldn't believe that."
He said the accident shows how careful everyone should be on congested South Florida roads.
"You have got to pay attention," he said. "You have really got to pay attention. This is an accident that should have never happened."
Police said the driver of the SUV was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition with head injuries.
Traffic homicide detectives will be studying the surveillance tape. Charges are pending.