MacArthur Causeway Reopens After Deadly Crash; Different Driver Crashes Through Barricade, Plunges Into Bay, Strips Naked Before Arrest
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – The westbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway have reopened after an early morning deadly crash and a second bizarre incident where a man drove through a police barricade near the crash scene, drove his car into the water and then stripped naked before surrendering to police.
The violent crash between a Toyota Camry and Ford Mustang took place on the Causeway at Fountain Street just before 5:00 a.m.
Miami Beach Police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez tells CBS4 the Camry was stopped at a red light, but when the light turned green, it was rear-ended by the driver of the Mustang, causing the Mustang to roll over.
The driver of the Mustang was transported to the hospital but is expected to be okay.
There were three people in the Camry, says Rodriguez.
The front seat passenger, identified by family as 26-year-old Danny Iglesias, was transported to the hospital but died.
"He was great, he had a lot of aspirations, he wanted to exceed in life. He was super happy. He loved his parents, his family," said Danny's emotional Aunt Belkys Chi. "We still have a lot of questions, we still don't know everything that happened and we still can't believe what has happened," she said.
"I feel bad, what can I say about that. I love my brother," said Danny's brother Eric Iglesias.
Danny worked at Mango's restaurant on Miami Beach.
The Camry's back seat passenger was also transported but is expected to be okay and the driver remained on the scene without injury.
Charges are pending against the driver of the Mustang.
The westbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway were closed for hours but have since reopened.
Meantime, during that early morning investigation, the driver of a Chevy Cruze plowed through the police barricades of the westbound MacArthur Causeway which were located at 5th Street and Alton Road, explained Rodriguez.
"He struck one our Road Ranger vehicles and continued westbound along the closed MacArthur by passing police."
"He refused to stop," said Rodriguez.
Officers followed him onto the Watson Island marina where he drove his vehicle straight into the water.
Once he got out of the water, the man stripped naked, before surrendering to police.
Charges are pending.
"We have to see what was going through his mind when he made these dangerous choices that could have ended with several other people dead," said Rodriguez.
The Miami-Dade Police Department underwater recovery team searched the vehicle while under water to make sure nobody else was in the vehicle.