Related videos:
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office released three new video angles that show in real time how a traffic accident occurred, in which a Cuban mother of two children died when her car was struck by another going at extremely high speed.
The accident occurred on December 14, shortly after 8:00 AM, at the intersection of Southwest 56th Street and Southwest 122nd Avenue, in Kendale Lakes, Kendall area.
The person responsible, Dayron Ramírez-Mesa, 21 years old, was driving his Tesla Cybertruck not only at high speed but also under the influence of alcohol. He ran a red light and collided with two vehicles making a left turn: a Toyota 4Runner and a Hyundai Sonata.
The videos reveal the extent of the reckless driving. One of them captures the exact moment of the impact, with the Tesla crashing into the Hyundai Sonata directly on the driver's side, followed by pieces of the vehicle flying through the air and a tire rolling down the street.
A rear angle of the recording shows the Cybertruck overtaking several cars seconds before the collision. A third angle displays the immediate aftermath of the incident.
According to the investigators, data from the vehicle itself recorded that three seconds before the impact, Ramírez-Mesa was traveling at 97 miles per hour, more than double the allowed limit of 40 mph in that area.
The Sonata, in which the Cuban was traveling, turned and crashed into a concrete divider. Its driver, identified as Dayana Abreu Pérez, 40 years old, was trapped in the vehicle. She was rescued and taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Dayana was a mother of two children, aged seven and 15. Her family revealed that she had recently overcome a long battle with cancer. Her death, just days before Christmas, shocked the community of southwest Miami-Dade, where neighbors set up an improvised altar at the exact point of impact.
Upon arriving at the scene, Miami-Dade Sheriff's deputies reported the smell of alcohol on Ramírez-Mesa's breath, as well as watery, bloodshot eyes. The three blood samples collected showed levels of 0.180, 0.103, and 0.081, all above Florida's legal limit of 0.08. The highest level, 0.180, more than doubled the permitted limit.
Ramírez-Mesa voluntarily turned himself in to authorities days after the accident. Judge Mindy Glazer set bail at $75,000 with house arrest and a prohibition on driving.
The young man was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide for reckless driving, driving under the influence resulting in death, reckless driving causing damage to property or persons, and driving under the influence causing damage to property or persons. He pleaded not guilty.
This case recalls other incidents of drunk drivers in South Florida that have claimed lives in the Hispanic community of the area.
Under Florida law, the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death is a second-degree felony that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four years and a maximum of 15 years in prison. Ramírez-Mesa is scheduled to appear in court at the end of May.
Filed under: