Possible Robbery Suspect Arrested After Leading Police On High Speed Chase Up I-95
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A high-speed police chase which began in Miami-Dade County raced north on I-95 and ended in a crash in Palm Beach County on Tuesday afternoon.
Multiple police agencies took part in the pursuit of the Toyota Corolla.
According to Miami-Dade Police, it all began when police units working in the area of Northwest 87th Street and 32nd Avenue noticed a vehicle that there was a 'Be On The Lookout,' or BOLO, out on.
They tried to stop the car but the driver bolted and led authorities on a 45-mile chase through three counties, ending just south of Palmetto Park Road.
Cellphone video from a Twitter user captured part of the chase in progress.
"He's got no tire," said the Twitter user.
The chase roared through Broward County and the cellphone video showed about a dozen marked and unmarked police and BSO units pursuing the car.
"Look at all those cops!" said the Twitter user.
Chopper 4 captured the aftermath of the chase. Cameras saw the grey Toyota Corolla smashed up against a concrete wall, minus a tire and with a cracked windshield.
Miami-Dade Police say the man in handcuffs loaded onto a stretcher is Raymond Umpierre.
They want to know if he's connected to an armed robbery from April 7th in Northwest Miami Dade.
Miami-Dade Police sent us a copy of the police flyer from the armed robbery. The car listed on the flyer bears a close resemblance to the car in Tuesday's chase.
Chopper 4 showed both Umpierre and a woman in his car loaded onto stretchers and taken to a nearby hospital.
Police say Umpierre was taken to jail. The woman was not.
The ordeal left drivers like Matt Bishop sitting in traffic. The backup stretched for miles in both directions on I-95 before and during rush hour.
"Normally it's just the roadwork that causes a temporary interruption, but wow," Bishop said.
Miami-Dade Police told CBS 4 News that Florida Highway Patrol troopers booked Umpierre into the Palm Beach County Jail on an outstanding warrant of failing to register as a sexual offender.
Miami-Dade Police said Umpierre will eventually be sent back to Miami to face charges of fleeing and eluding and he'll also face that warrant for failing to register as a sexual offender.
Robbery detectives are also working to figure out if he's the suspect in that armed robbery.