Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Karina Diaz
Age : 49
Gender : Female
Race : Latino/a/e
Date : 08/31/2021
Location : Sunset Drive and Southwest 92nd Avenue
City : Sunset
County : Miami-Dade
State : Florida
Agency : Miami-Dade Police Department
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/31/2021, shortly before 6:00 a.m., a South Miami Police Department officer observed a white Range Rover traveling at extremely high speed on the Palmetto Expressway. Police later alleged that 24-year-old Rodney Rodriguez was driving the Range Rover at speeds exceeding 100 mph, with police radio traffic indicating speeds may have reached approximately 120 mph. The officer followed the Range Rover as it exited the expressway onto Southwest 72nd Street, also known as Sunset Drive, and activated emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop for speeding.
The Range Rover continued west on Sunset Drive while the South Miami officer followed. According to the subsequent police account and Rodriguez's arrest affidavit, the officer discontinued the pursuit after traveling outside South Miami's jurisdiction, made a U-turn and began returning toward South Miami. Rodriguez continued west at high speed and allegedly drove through a red light at Southwest 87th Avenue.
Moments after the officer discontinued the pursuit, Rodriguez reached Sunset Drive and Southwest 92nd Avenue. Fifty-one-year-old Adalberto Hernandez Cereijo was driving a silver Kia Forte carrying his wife, 49-year-old Karina Diaz Chacon, and her 75-year-old mother, Elena Chacon Diaz. The family was traveling to take Elena to a dialysis appointment. The Range Rover struck the Kia at high speed as the Kia was turning at the intersection.
The impact catastrophically damaged the Kia and killed all three family members. One of the women was ejected from the vehicle. The Range Rover continued through the collision, rotated several times and struck multiple palm trees before coming to rest. Rodriguez survived and was transported to Kendall Regional Medical Center for surgery.
Police initially stated that alcohol appeared to have contributed to the crash. At Rodriguez's later court hearing, however, prosecutors said preliminary toxicology information did not appear to show alcohol impairment but indicated drugs might have been present. Rodriguez was arrested after his release from the hospital and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, fleeing police and grand theft auto. Authorities alleged that the Range Rover had been stolen.
The South Miami officer who initiated and briefly continued the pursuit was not identified by name in the contemporary reporting, subsequent arrest coverage or court reporting located for this update.
SOURCE LINKS :
crash/https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/three-killed-one-hospitalized-crash/
