Person killed in chaotic SW Miami-Dade crash identified; suspected driver arrested
WESTCHESTER — New details have been released regarding a chaotic Miami-Dade County crash that left one person dead and two other people in critical condition on Friday morning.
Miami-Dade Police announced in an updated press release Saturday afternoon that they have identified the deceased victim as 34-year-old Daniel Garcia and the suspect driver — 28-year-old Dymariz Picon — was arrested and facing vehicular homicide charges.
According to the arrest affidavit, Picon was driving the white Nissan pickup truck traveling westbound on SW 21st Terrace. Inside the truck with her was Garcia and another occupant known only as Pac. Meanwhile, a GMC van, which was driven by 30-year-old Alexis Gonzalez Martinez and his 26-year-old assistant Jose G. Perez Estevez, was traveling south on SW 92nd Avenue and crossing 21st Terrace.
At this moment, Picon failed to stop at the stop sign ahead "in a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property," and violently struck the left-front corner of the van. Upon the collision, Picon's truck was redirected west and struck five parked cars in front of nearby homes. After that, Picon and Pac failed to aid everyone involved in the crash and fled the scene, leaving Garcia's lifeless body inside the truck, the affidavit stated.
Further investigation revealed that a Miami-Dade School Board officer was alerted to a possible threat in progress at the On-the-Go Market at 8200 SW 24th Street, where Picon allegedly refused to stop for the school board officer who was attempting a traffic stop with emergency equipment before losing sight of Picon. Moments later, the officer discovered the crash and learned that the vehicle was pursuing earlier was the one involved, the arrest affidavit stated.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene shortly after it was reported and declared Garcia dead at 9 a.m., and transported both Gonzalez Martinez and Perez Estevez to HCA Kendall Hospital Trauma Center in critical condition.
MDPD was able to identify and track Picon and brought her into their headquarters' homicide bureau, where she confessed to the crash after being given her Miranda rights. According to the arrest affidavit, a records check revealed that not only did Picon not have a Florida driver's license but her state ID card was also issued to a habitual traffic offender in January 2021 for five years.
She was then arrested and charged with driving without a license that caused a deadly crash, fleeing the scene of a deadly crash and property damage.
