Drag Racing Crash Kills Father And Son; Mom, Other Son Fighting For Life
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — A father and son where killed, a mother and child remain hospitalized after all four were in an SUV hit by a car said to be drag racing down Flagler Street.
The accident happened just before 2 a.m. Saturday at 58th Avenue and Flagler.
Relatives said the family of four was on their way home from a loved ones house when they were hit by a Toyota Scion.
"The impact was so massive that it caused this SUV just tossed it around," said Det. Willie Moreno of Miami Police. "The vehicle continued to rotate an additional three times before coming to a resting point."
Investigators said Jose Serrano, 43, died on the scene and his son, 15-year-old German Serrano, died at the hospital.
The boy's mom, 42-year-old Carmen Otra, and the couple's other son, 12-year-old Gabriel Serrano, are in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The Serrano's family gathered outside of the hospital Saturday night, including Otra's mother, Mercedes Vega.
"I have a lot of faith in God that she will get through this.," said Vega with tears in her eyes. "She is very injured. Her head is open. The boy is also very hurt. His head is open as well. They are operating on him right now."
The driver of one of the drag racing vehicles, 19-year-old Alejandro Hernandez, was in critical condition. The passenger in Hernandez's car, Ivan Rodriguez Jr. was also listed in critical condition.
According to Moreno, Hernandez' Toyota Scion was drag racing against a Chevy Impala and another vehicle on Flagler Street early Saturday morning. The vehicles were racing eastbound at up to 100 miles per hour in an area where the speed limit was 30 to 35.
The Scion lost control, swerving into westbound traffic. In that westbound traffic was the Ford Expedition with the two parents and their children; the SUV was struck head on.
The impact was so severe, it caused the engine block of the Scion to be torn off its compartment, and that of the Expedition to be pushed into its own passenger compartment. Moreno said the impact tossed the SUV around three times before it came to rest.
Miami detectives are searching for two additional vehicles that witnesses say were speeding. The Expedition was not involved in the drag racing.
Police spent the morning gathering evidence from the scene and trying to obtain any surveillance video from businesses in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to call Miami Police at 305-603-6350, or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
