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Elena Chacon-Diaz

Age : 75

Gender : Female

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 08/31/2021

Location : Sunset Drive near Southwest 92nd Avenue

City : Miami

County : Miami-Dade

State : Florida

Agency : Miami-Dade Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/31/2021, shortly before 6:00 a.m., a South Miami Police Department officer encountered 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 more than 100 mph, while police radio traffic reportedly indicated speeds reaching approximately 120 mph. The South Miami officer followed the Range Rover as it exited the expressway onto Southwest 72nd Street, also known as Sunset Drive, and attempted to stop it for speeding. Rodriguez continued west while the officer pursued.
According to the subsequent police investigation, the South Miami officer discontinued the pursuit and made a U-turn. The Miami Herald reported that the officer was on his way to work when he initially encountered the speeding Range Rover and stopped following it after Rodriguez continued west on Sunset Drive. Rodriguez allegedly continued at extremely high speed and drove through a red light at Southwest 87th Avenue.
At approximately 6:00 a.m., Rodriguez reached Sunset Drive and Southwest 92nd Avenue, where 51-year-old Adalberto Hernandez Cereijo was driving a Kia sedan with 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 family crossed the intersection.
The collision killed Adalberto, Karina and Elena. Rodriguez survived and was hospitalized. Police arrested him after his release from the hospital and charged him 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 the attempted traffic stop and followed the Range Rover before discontinuing the pursuit was not identified by name in the contemporary reporting, arrest-affidavit coverage or subsequent court reporting located during this update.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wfla.com/news/high-speed-chase-kills-three-in-south-florida/
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/kendall-fatal-crash-police-pursuit/
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/rodney-rodriguez-driver-accused-in-high-speed-crash-that-killed-3-charged-with-vehicular-homicide/
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/31/at-least-1-hospitalized-after-vehicle-crashes-into-pole-on-sunset-drive/
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/09/01/3-family-members-killed-by-possibly-drunken-driver-on-sunset-drive/