Wrong-way crash kills a man and shut down stretch of Tamiami Trail

One man is dead after a wrong-way driver smashed into his car early Monday on Southwest Eighth Street and 157th Avenue, Florida Highway Patrol said.

The crash happened at 4:42 a.m. According to FHP spokesman Alejandro Camacho, a silver Ford F150 pickup truck driven by Eliezer Rodriguez Pedro, 35, was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Tamiami Trail and approaching Southwest 157th Avenue. He hit a silver Hyundai Elantra driven by Felix Alberto Restrepo head-on.

Rodriguez Pedro, who survived the crash with critical injuries, was taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center.

Restrepo, 45, died on the scene, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

“We suspect that alcohol was a factor,” Camacho said.

Charges are pending as the crash remains under investigation.

This story was originally published December 3, 2018 at 8:25 AM.