Man detained after woman, 4 children killed in multi-vehicle crash in Miami Gardens, officials say
MIAMI —A man is in custody after a woman and four children died in a multi-vehicle crash in Miami Gardens on Saturday evening, officials said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told CBS News Miami that they responded to a "mass casualty incident" in the area of NW 170th St. 37th Ave. Miami Gardens Police Executive Officer Emmanuel Jeanty told reporters the call came in around 5:57 p.m.
Officials said they came across a crash between a white Nissan Altima, a black Kia Sorento and a silver Cadillac Escalade involving multiple people, including three who were trapped inside one of the cars and had to be cut out from inside. MDFR said nine people in total were taken to local hospitals.
Four children and one adult were taken by ground transport and another child was taken by air rescue crews as trauma alerts to a Hollywood trauma center. Meanwhile, four additional people were taken by ground transport to a Broward County hospital.
Jeanty told reporters that a woman and four children died after. The conditions of the other people who remain in the hospital were not revealed at this time.
According to the preliminary investigation, the Kia hit the Nissan, pushing it into the Escalade before crashing into a fence. Police said an Opa-Locka Police officer was on his way to work when he witnessed the crash.
The woman and children were inside the Nissan, and the Kia driver — later identified as 25-year-old Antonio Wilcox — was at fault and stayed on the scene until police detained him, Jeanty said. Police added that after the accident, Wilcox opened his driver's side door and fell.
Jeanty told reporters that Saturday's crash was a "very, very tough time" for the victims and first responders, and asked for the community to pray for them.
"It's a very tough night for our community," he said. "It's a very tough night for our officers responding to the scene. It's a very tough night for fire rescue personnel and our officers who have to triage the patients on scene."
At this time, Wilcox is facing five counts of vehicular homicide and Miami Gardens Police's Traffic Homicide detectives will continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash throughout the night. Jeanty said that speed and alcohol were factors in the crash; however, Miami Gardens Police told CBS News Miami that additional charges are expected as they await Wilcox's toxicology report.
Traffic is blocked along 37th Ave. between 169th and 171st Streets as the investigation continues.