In mid-August, a man driving in Florida City found himself in a serious predicament after a minor car accident escalated into a felony case. According to the police, he not only rear-ended a pickup truck, but also hit the passenger as he tried to flee the scene, causing severe injuries.
On Monday, the Florida City police took William Alvarado, a 43-year-old resident of southwest Miami-Dade, into custody.
The crash occurred on August 10, just before 7:15 p.m., as reported by the police.
While traveling north on U.S. 1 towards Florida’s Turnpike near Palm Drive, Alvarado unintentionally rear-ended the victim’s pickup truck in his 2016 Honda Civic. Authorities stated that Alvarado failed to pay proper attention, leading to the collision.
According to the arrest report, Alvarado pinned the victim, who was the passenger in the truck, between the two vehicles and quickly drove off while the victim was checking for damage. The report further states that Alvarado also collided with a third vehicle, a Scion, before managing to escape.
The victim sustained severe injuries in the incident and had to be transported by helicopter from Homestead Hospital to Jackson South Medical Center, according to the police. As a result of the injuries, the victim underwent surgery and had metal rods inserted in their right leg.
On Sunday, the police went to Alvarado’s home, located in the 18900 block of Southwest 309th Street, just outside of Homestead, as they were able to identify him as the driver.
Alvarado was not present, however, his Honda was found at the scene of the crash, and the damages on the vehicle were consistent with the descriptions provided.
Alvarado visited the Florida City Police Department on Monday to give a statement, stating that the accident was a result of a road rage incident. According to him, both he and the other driver pulled over on U.S. 1 after the other driver started yelling profanities at him.
According to the report, Alvarado stated that there had been no rear-end collision. However, the police observed that the pickup truck had damage to its rear.
According to the police, Alvarado witnessed the driver and passenger of the truck getting out and approaching his vehicle with “blunt objects.” In response, he immediately started reversing his vehicle.
Alvarado’s statement in the arrest report was mostly redacted, except for the section where he mentioned that he is a veteran, according to the police.
After the interview, he found himself behind bars as an inmate.
The police detained Alvarado for the offense of fleeing the scene of a collision that resulted in serious bodily harm. This charge is classified as a second-degree felony. Subsequently, he was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for further processing.
According to jail records, as of Tuesday, he was still in custody on a $7,500 bond.