Doral Police Alarmed By Alleged Hit And Run Case
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DORAL (CBSMiami) — Doral Police say have questions for a man who says he pursued a hit-and-run driver who victimized him. That man is captured on camera repeatedly banged on the window of the other man's car.
Cell phone video captured by nearby witnesses shows the man persistently pounding on the driver side window of a silver car and even using his own cell phone to bang on the window as well.
Horns are heard honking as the incident happens just after 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Northwest 87th Avenue and 36th Street.
The man, who police are not identifying, is seen going to the trunk of his car to retrieve something and when he returns to the other driver's car, that driver takes off.
The man goes back to his vehicle and quickly pursues the other driver with his trunk open.
Doral Police spokesman Rey Valdes told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "This alleged hit-and-run accident must have first happened somewhere west of 87th Avenue as the vehicles were eastbound on Northwest 36th Street and ended up at the intersection."
"By banging on the window," said Valdes, "he was obviously trying to get the driver's attention. He told us he was involved in a hit-and-run crash in which the driver left the scene. We don't know if that driver is a man or a woman. But he followed him there to the intersection and when they came to a standstill at the traffic light, that's when he went to the other car."
"Our detectives want to follow up and find this other driver who took off and get his or her side of the story," said Valdes. "We would urge the person who left the scene to come forward and call us as want to talk to that person."
Valdes said the man who claimed to have been hit gave police the license tag number of the vehicle that took off.
"We certainly don't want that type of situation happening," said Valdes who had worked for years in traffic homicide when he was with the Miami-Dade Police Department. "I can tell you that I am alarmed because there are a lot of people out there who are armed lawfully."
Valdes said, "We encourage you if you are in an accident similar to this to call police and take a picture and get a license tag. But you certainly don't want you under any circumstances engaging in a pursuit and we don't want you going up to a vehicle and striking glass. This could have had a much different outcome Peter. You could have ended up talking to someone in different department because of a different outcome."
"You never know," said Valdes. "Obviously he is pumped up and the stress is flowing. You don't know what is going on with someone in the car, if he is feeling threatened or fearful. There are so many variables."
Valdes said police are not identifying the man pounding on the window because they want to re-interview him and see what else he can say. Valdes said police had been having trouble reaching him.
While they do have the license tag of the other driver, they are still asking for the public's help.
Anyone with information should call Doral Police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
