Miami-Dade

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Man arrested in Miami Gardens crash that killed one, critically injured five

 
 

Mark Derefaka
Mark Derefaka

dovalle@MiamiHerald.com

A felon with a long rap sheet — and no valid drivers license — was arrested Tuesday evening for the horrific Miami Gardens car wreck that killed an elderly woman and severely injured four others.

Police say Mark Derefaka’s plowed his car into a group of people waiting for a county bus at the corner of Northwest 199th Street and Northwest Second Avenue.

The Oct. 23 afternoon crash killed 83-year-old Mary Smith. Doctors had to amputate the legs of Delia Tafur, 47. Wendy Vasquez, 44, suffered a broken pelvis, leg and hip.

Two underage victims also suffered critical injuries to their legs and head.

Derefaka was charged with one count of vehicular homicide, plus four counts of reckless driving with serious bodily injury. His license had been suspended four times, once for driving with a suspended license and three times for failing to pay traffic fines.

According to an arrest warrant, the horrific crash was captured on a red-light traffic camera. Cars were stopped at the intersection for a red light, and Derefaka made no attempt to slow down, the warrant said.

His 2007 Nissan Maxima clipped another car stopped at the light, jumping a curb and hitting the people waiting for the bus.

Derefaka has an extensive criminal history with at least 10 convictions.

He was convicted of cocaine possession and attempted murder stemming from a shooting at a strip club. When witnesses refused to cooperate, prosecutors accepted a plea to serve five years in state prison; he served three and was released in January 2011.

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