Man was speeding at 99 mph in Miami Gardens crash that killed 4, including 3 children, police say
MIAMI - Miami Gardens police said Tuesday that the man accused of causing a deadly crash over the weekend that killed four people, including children, was speeding at nearly 100 mph at the point of impact.
The crash happened Saturday at NW 170 Street and 37th Avenue shortly before 6 p.m.
The driver of a Kia Sorento hit a Nissan Altima, according to Miami Gardens police. The impact sent the Nissan into a Cadillac Escalade before it crashed into a fence.
The driver of a Kia Sorento hit a Nissan Altima, according to Miami Gardens police. The impact sent the Nissan into a Cadillac Escalade before it crashed into a fence.
The driver of the Kia has been identified as 25-year-old Antonio Wilcox Jr. of Naples, Florida, police said. Wilcox is being charged with four counts of vehicular homicide.
"Mr. Wilcox was driving at approximately 99 mph, accelerating at the point of impact. The throttle was all the way down," Emmanuel Jeanty, executive officer with the Miami Gardens Police Department, said Tuesday in an update on the crash.
He said there were eight people inside the Nissan at the time of the crash—three adults and five children. They've been identified as a mother, her four children, their grandmother, an adult woman and a neighbor's child.
Several members of the same family died in the crash
Those who died have been identified as 51-year-old Rosa Mae Jones, 10-year-old Irena Johnson, 8-year-old Zarina McCall and Kamari Graham.
The family of the three children who died said Jones was their grandmother. The children's mother survived, but remains in the hospital. They said the group was headed to a movie to celebrate the birthday of one of the children who did not survive.
Jeanty confirmed that three children died in the crash, not four, as police had earlier reported. He said one adult and one child remain in the hospital in critical condition and their conditions could worsen.
One of the critically injured survivors is 7-year-old Cyrus Rankin, who was in the car with the other victims.
CBS News Miami also spoke with Destiny Rosa, Cyrus' mother, who is by his side at Joe DiMaggio Hospital.
Rosa did not want to show her full face but shared a photograph and video of her son while speaking about his condition.
"Right now, he is in critical condition. He is not doing ok. So I am just asking everyone to please, pray. Please pray. All I am asking for is prayers. He means a lot to me. He is my firstborn, my baby. They were just going to the movies to celebrate one child's birthday. He was going with his friend. This was horrible, horrible. Horrible," Rosa said.
She pleaded for drivers to be responsible.
"I just wanted to tell everyone out there to please be cautious when you are driving and don't drink. Take an Uber and call somebody because this cost the lives of innocent people who didn't deserve that."
Rosa said she had been tracking her son's location on his phone that night and immediately knew something was wrong.
"I was tracking my son's location because he has a phone. And I knew something was wrong. I just felt it. A mom knows. A mom knows. As soon as he left my house, I started tracking his location and he wasn't moving and I knew something was wrong."
Through tears, she repeated her desperate request for prayers.
"All I am asking for is prayers, prayers, prayers. We need a big miracle. He is such a good kid. He is my first baby. I had him at the age of 15 and he has been at my side ever since. I normally never let him go with anyone because he is always with me."
Wilcox, the driver of the Kia, also remains in the hospital undergoing treatment.
Those in the Cadillac Escalade received minor injuries, according to Jeanty.
Jeanty said Wilcox, who had alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, is being charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and will be held without bond once he's released from a hospital in Broward and brought to Miami-Dade.
"Mr. Wilcox made a conscious decision to get into that vehicle and drive in a reckless manner with no regard for human life," Jeanty said.
He also issued a strong warning to the community.
"We are sending a message out to the community that if you are operating a vehicle in a reckless manner and that takes someone's life, you will be held and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Drive safely, wear your seat belts and understand that you are not the only one on the road."
Jeanty emphasized the severity of the crash, calling it one of the worst he has ever seen.
"I can tell you right now, in my law enforcement career, this has been the worst accident that I have witnessed. As a matter of fact, our traffic homicide detective has even stated the same in their many years of investigating these types of crashes," he said.
As families grieve and pray for the survivors, the community is left reeling from the devastating impact of one reckless decision.
