Bond denied for man accused of causing Miami Gardens crash that killed 5, including 4 children
A Miami-Dade judge denied bond on Wednesday for the 25-year-old driver accused of causing the crash that killed five people, including four children, in Miami Gardens earlier this month, according to court records.
The deadly collision occurred around 6 p.m. on Feb. 8 near Northwest 37th Avenue and 171st Street in Miami Gardens. Eight people were in a Nissan Maxima when Antonio Wilcox Jr., 25, driving a black Kia Sorento clocked at 99 mph, smashed into them from behind, jettisoning their car into a Cadillac Escalade, Miami Gardens Police said.
The crash initially killed siblings Kamari Graham, 10, Ireanna Johnson, 11, A’zariah McCall,9, and their grandmother Rosa Mae Jones, 51.
On Saturday, a fourth sibling, 13-year-old Ka’Myra Graham died.
The children’s mother remains in critical care along with a child who was a friend of the family. The group was headed to a movie theater at the time of the crash, one day after Kamari turned 10.
Court records show Wilcox Jr. faces four counts each of manslaughter and vehicle homicide. It is expected additional charges will be added after Ka’Myra’s death. If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years behind bars and pay a $10,000 fine.
Miami Gardens Police Sergeant Emmanuel Jeanty told reporters at a press conference last week that this is the worst crash he has ever seen in his nearly 10 years working in law enforcement.
Jeanty said Wilcox Jr. had alcohol in his system. But according to Wilcox’s arrest warrant his blood alcohol level after the crash was 0.013, which is under the legal limit.
“I believe Wilcox poses a great danger to this community and the fact he killed five people driving. He may not have been over the legal limit, but it shows he did have alcohol in his system at the time,” said Judge Mindy Glazer as she ordered him to remain jailed according to Local 10 News.
Wilcox’s attorney information was not available on the Miami-Dade County Clerk’s website. He remains jailed at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to jail records
Family and loved ones grieve
Days after the crash a memorial of stuffed animals, candles, flowers, and balloons appeared near the crash site, with candles arranged in the children’s initials and plush toys covered in names, hearts, and prayers.
READ MORE: ‘Everyone loved them’. Family mourns children, grandmother killed in Miami Gardens crash
A’zariah and Ireanna’s father, Ronald McCall, remembered his daughters’ love for singing, dancing, and making TikTok videos, saying he forgives the driver but struggles with the tragic loss.
In Le Jeune Gardens, where the family lived neighbor Antwone Robinson recalled the sisters as the “life of the party,” always dancing with friends while their grandmother, also killed in the crash, watched from the front porch.
Another neighbor, Maria, remembered sleepovers with the children, each with a unique personality. The girl’s mother had recently bought the Nissan involved in the crash, cherishing her newfound freedom from buses and long walks.