Van that crashed into police cars wasn’t in fatal hit-and run, but was stolen, police say
A police chase involving a stolen van came to a screeching halt Friday when the van crashed into two police cruisers, according to Miami police.
Police originally thought the van was linked to a fatal hit-and-run that occurred in April in Little Havana, but later said it wasn’t.
The chase began shortly after 3 a.m. Friday when officers saw the van along Northwest 27th Avenue and 18th Street. The van matched the description of the vehicle that killed Geovany Ramos in April, said a Miami police spokesman.
Ramos, 39, was crossing Southwest Eighth Avenue in Little Havana at about 8:40 p.m. April 11 when police say he was struck and killed by a white, Dodge Ram Van 1500 with no windows on the rear sides, circa 1999 to 2002.
On Friday, when police tried to make the traffic stop, the van sped off, prompting a chase. The van then crashed into two Miami police cruisers at Northwest 24th Avenue and 48th Street in Brownsville, the spokesman said.
The two people inside the van then took off running and were taken into custody shortly after, according to police.
Video taken by local TV news stations shows at least one of the cruisers with front-end damage, the white van in front of it. Police say the van is stolen.
Police have not disclosed the identity of the two in custody. One officer was treated on the scene for a minor injury.
Michael Vega, a Miami police spokesman, said investigators were still trying to find the driver involved in the hit and run.
Anyone with information that can help with the investigation can call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
Miami Herald staff writer Carli Teproff contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 9:25 AM.
