A tourist driving on the wrong side of a causeway caused a crash, Miami Beach cops say
A man visiting South Florida from Lexington, Kentucky, drove his Slingshot three-wheeler east on the MacArthur Causeway’s westbound side Sunday afternoon, Miami Beach police said.
Miami Beach Detective Carlos Corvo, who stopped Hesham Shalash, also says in an arrest report that the tourist caused an accident and got attitude when he got stopped.
“You are going to regret this!” the arrest report says Shalash yelled at Corvo. “Get the [bleep] back in your car!”
Shalash, 27, spent Sunday night and into Monday morning at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after a reckless driving citation and an arrest on a misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer without violence.
Eastbound and wouldn’t get down, police say
The arrest report says around 5:40 p.m. Sunday, Corvo was headed east toward Miami Beach on the MacArthur Causeway, when he looked to his right and noticed Shalash heading east on the MacArthur — but on the westbound side.
Corvo’s report says he saw Shalash cause a crash, then start heading back west on the MacArthur. Corvo says he made a U-turn at the Fountain Street light (the light for the street to Star Island and Hibiscus Island) and caught up to Shalash.
The report says Shalash had stopped the Slingshot, gotten out and given Corvo the aforementioned greeting. Corvo’s report says Shalash “took a fighting stance” and refused to get on the ground with his hands behind his back. The report also says Shalash reacted to two shots from Corvo’s stun gun by just removing the darts.
Shalash, the report said, eventually got on the ground and was taken into custody. The passengers involved in the crash were “complaining of minor injuries.”
At the bottom of the Slingshot website’s opening page, in small print, manufacturer Polaris says, “Slingshot is a three-wheeled motorcycle. It is not an automobile. It does not have airbags and it does not meet automotive safety standards.
“Three wheel vehicles may handle differently than other vehicles, especially in wet conditions. Always wear a DOT-approved full-face helmet and fasten seatbelts. The driver may need a valid motorcycle endorsement. Don’t drink and drive.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 11:15 AM.
