Police: Alcohol Involved In Violent Crash That Killed Three On Sunset Drive In Kendall

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - New surveillance video shows a fiery car crash in Southwest Miami-Dade that claimed the lives of three people.

Miami-Dade police said alcohol was a factor in this tragedy.

The video obtained from a business next to the site on Sunset Drive at Southwest 92nd Avenue shows the impact in darkness just before 6 a.m. as the victim's vehicle is making a turn on Southwest 92nd Avenue and is t-boned.

A surveillance camera outside CMS Diagnostic Services captured the crash.

Neighbor Alejandro Martinez told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "I heard like a bang. You know an explosion, a high type of impact."

He said he heard the crash as he was getting up to go to work at F.I.U.

"There's always issues here with car accidents because we have a lot of speeding and cars trying to make U-Turns," he said. "My condolences go out to the families."

Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said it all started when a South Miami Police officer spotted a white Range Rover going at a high rate of speed southbound on the Palmetto Expressway. That officer tried to stop that vehicle but Zabaleta says he kept on going westbound on Sunset Drive after getting off at the exit.

"The Officer tried to conduct a traffic stop by turning on his emergency equipment but at that point the subject made a right turn at a high rate of speed westbound on Sunset."

Zabaleta says the Range Rover struck the victims' grey Kia at Southwest 92nd Avenue, killing the male adult driver and two female adult passengers. He said one of the women was ejected from the car.

"It's too early to say if seatbelts were worn or whether there was a lack of seatbelts in the ejection," said Zabaleta. "Once again we see how speed kills and we urge people now that school is back in session to be careful. It was 6 in the morning and kids are going to school and there are high school kids going to school. That's why we tell people that speed does kill."

Zabaleta said "Make sure you pay attention to the speed limit and pay attention to the posted speed limit. Make sure you are wearing your seat belts. They do save lives. We are not saying they didn't have them here but we want everyone to learn from this tragedy."

"At this point we are saddened," he said. "We don't know if these 3 individuals were coming back from work or going to work. We don't know where they are going. These were 3 individuals that were just driving their vehicle that gets t-boned by someone who was careless so our hearts go out to the families."

Zabaleta said the driver of the Range Rover was transported to Kendall Regional Medical Center and said detectives would speak with him after he was out of surgery. Zabaleta said charges are pending.

He is also urging anyone who was a witness to come forward and call

Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).

So far neither the driver of the Range Rover nor the victims have been identified.