MIAMI, FL — A Miami man was arrested Friday on felony charges after allegedly striking and killing a 62-year-old pedestrian in a hit-and-run crash, then fleeing the scene without stopping to help the victim.
Deshawn Daniels, 41, faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death after the early morning crash that killed Antonio Sanchez near Northwest 12th Avenue and Northwest 28th Street. The arrest came after a good Samaritan who heard about the crash on local news tipped police to a vehicle matching the suspect’s description parked at an apartment complex. Police said Daniels later turned himself in and admitted to being the driver who struck Sanchez.
The fatal crash occurred just before 3:30 a.m. Friday in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, according to Miami Police. Surveillance video from the area shows Daniels driving his beige Chevrolet Tahoe southbound on Northwest 12th Avenue when he struck Sanchez, who was crossing the street just outside a marked crosswalk. The video shows the SUV continuing without slowing down or stopping after impact. “This vehicle didn’t make an attempt to even stop. After the pedestrian was hit, they didn’t make an attempt to stop. So it’s crucial in identifying this person,” Miami Police spokesperson Mike Vega said before the arrest.
Miami Fire Rescue transported Sanchez to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he later died from his injuries. Witness Axel Martinez, who was working at a nearby gas station, heard the crash and called 911. Martinez said he had known Sanchez since he was 10 years old and described him as a regular customer who would visit the area frequently. “It was horrendous. It impacted me. I don’t even know how to feel still,” Martinez said. “It was gruesome. His shoes were flying all over the area. Everywhere. His wallet was somewhere else. It was definitely a very hard push, a hard crash.” Police said the impact was severe enough that the vehicle would likely have extensive front-end damage.
The breakthrough in the case came Friday afternoon when an anonymous person arrived at the Miami Police North Station after hearing about the crash on local news. The good Samaritan told officers there was a vehicle matching the description at an apartment complex in Miami. When police arrived at the location, they found a beige Chevrolet Tahoe with damage consistent with striking a pedestrian, according to the arrest report. The vehicle matched the one seen in surveillance footage from the crash scene. Police said the front-end damage was clearly visible and consistent with the type of impact that occurred during the fatal collision.
As detectives were investigating the vehicle at the apartment complex, Daniels surrendered at the Miami Police North Station and admitted to driving the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run, according to the arrest report. Police said Daniels confessed to being behind the wheel when he struck Sanchez that morning. The arrest report indicates Daniels was driving southbound on Northwest 12th Avenue heading toward 28th Street when the collision occurred. After striking the pedestrian, Daniels allegedly fled the area without stopping to render aid or call for help, police said.
Under Florida law, leaving the scene of a crash involving death is considered a serious felony offense that can result in significant prison time and license revocation. Police noted that since the traffic light was green when Sanchez was crossing the street, Daniels likely would not have faced charges had he stopped at the scene and remained to help. “Since the driver kept going, police said the person will likely be charged with a felony,” authorities explained. The case highlights the legal requirement for drivers involved in crashes resulting in injury or death to stop immediately at the scene, provide aid to injured individuals, and contact law enforcement.
Martinez, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, expressed hope that justice would be served for his longtime friend. “It breaks my heart. It absolutely breaks my heart to see this, that’s happening right now to such a good guy,” Martinez said of Sanchez. He described the victim as someone who would regularly visit the gas station area to socialize with others. “He shows up here a lot. He hangs out and talks to men. How’s life? How are you doing? It’s sad to see that,” Martinez said, remembering Sanchez as a friendly presence in the neighborhood who was well-known to local business owners and residents.
As of Saturday afternoon, Daniels was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with his bond listed as “to be set” in online jail records. The Miami Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash, and the case will likely proceed through the Miami-Dade County court system in the coming weeks.
Laws need to be amended . They need to include a tougher mandatory sentence for a Hit an Run. How about adding at least 1 year to the sentence already in the books for every hour between the accident and when you get caught or turn yourself in. It’s well past time to toughen every single Prison Sentence because the crime rates aren’t actually dropping like the Democrats say they are. Instead they just decriminalized several hundred offenses to Misdemeanors or removed them completely. Then you have these Rouge DAs and Judges who refuse to actually do their jobs and set murders free. Any Judge or DA who’s involved with allowing a Criminal to walk and that Criminal commits a Murder or other Serious Crime both the Judge and DA get to serve the same sentence in the same Prison along with being placed in the General Population. I bet then we immediately stop seeing and hearing about Judges and DAs setting Criminals Free.