Corvette Driver Dead After Slamming Into Wall Of Duffy's Tavern

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The driver of a Corvette died early Saturday morning after crashing into a wall of Duffy's Tavern in Miami.

According to police, it happened shortly before 7:00 a.m.

The driver of a black Corvette first clipped a white van, causing it to flip over, before careening into the wall of the iconic Miami tavern located at 2108 SW 57 Avenue.

The Corvette then caught fire.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue put out the flames and determined the male driver was deceased on the scene.

The owner of Duffy's Tavern, Wayne Russell, said the Corvette crashed into wall of his office, where he had been sitting moments before the crash.

"I was in my office doing my morning chores, I stepped out to do some work behind the bar and I heard a long screeching sound. I thought whatever and then a big bang," he explained. "Then I looked towards the office, and I saw smoke and rubble, and I'm on a landline, so I said, I gotta go, send help. And then I ran outside with some fire extinguishers and put the fire out for a while until the police came."

A Good Samaritan also tried to help douse the burning Corvette after the crash.

Jose Richard Martinez was headed out early to a nearby marina and when he saw the burning car, he jumped into action after grabbing a fire extinguisher from his boat.

"Yeah, I started to put out the fire and then the owner came out with some fire extinguishers. My fire extinguishers from the boat are actually small, ya know, so I mean, it was tough," said Martinez.

Even a neighbor said he heard the speeding car and then the crash.

"I was coming out of my house, I live like four blocks away, and I heard a car that must have been going like around 200 miles an hour, loud, loud, loud and I heard a horn sound, but then I didn't hear anything else," explained Julio Andino.

Andino also said an elderly man in the van got out okay, but seemed disoriented.

The name of the Corvette driver or what caused the crash has not been released.