Car crash kills 2, injures 2, ignites gas pumps

Two people died and gas station pumps went up in flames after a multi-vehicle crash early Sunday at Northwest 27th Avenue and 17th Street.

Hours later, Miami police traffic homicide investigators still shut off a six-block chunk, 14th Street to 20th Street, of the major central Miami-Dade north-south street artery.

Everything started with a BMW hitting a Honda CRV.

Police say the BMW, driven by Felix Ramos, 22, was heading southbound on Northwest 27th Avenue at a “high rate of speed” when it slammed into the SUV, which was headed northbound on Northwest 27th Avenue and making a left turn on Northwest 17th Avenue.

According to Miami Fire Rescue captain Ignatius Carroll, crews arrived just after 4 a.m. to see the BMW on fire at the Chevron gas station, 1684 NW 27th Ave. Good Samaritans working with Miami Police officers had pulled two men from the BMW. Miami Police officer Rene Pimentel said the gas station pumps caught fire from the BMW.

Ramos was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital and was in stable condition. His passenger, Xavier Fabian, 22, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the SUV had rolled a block away, Carroll said. The driver, Eric Brahona, 38, was ejected from the SUV, police said. Fire Rescue crews worked on the driver while taking him to Ryder Trauma Center, but he later died. The passenger, Howard Lara, 40, was pronounced dead at the scene, police later said.

Two other cars crashed without injury while trying to avoid debris.

This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 10:39 AM with the headline "Car crash kills 2, injures 2, ignites gas pumps."