Tow truck driver turns himself in following high-speed fatal crash in Miami, cops say
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A tow truck driver turned himself in Tuesday after he was involved in a high-speed fiery crash that killed a 69-year-old man in Miami last month, according to police.
Jose Garcia faces a charge of vehicular homicide in a reckless manner, and the 49-year-old was released from jail Wednesday on a $7,500 bond, Miami-Dade county records show.
Around 12:20 a.m. Dec. 11, Garcia was driving a Dodge RAM tow truck heading southbound on Southwest 22nd Avenue when he crashed into a Honda CR-V that was making a left turn on Southwest 17th Street, according to his arrest report.
As a result, the tow truck drove onto a sidewalk before colliding with a utility pole and a chain-link fence, while the Honda skidded for 83 feet before striking a curb and flipping onto its driver side. Then, detectives say the Honda continued to skid for another 57 feet until it stopped.
An off-duty police officer who witnessed the crash called first responders and flipped the Honda back onto its wheels with the help of civilians. Immediately after, the car became fully engulfed in flames, and several witnesses, including the officer, tried to extinguish the blaze until firefighters arrived.
Despite firefighters’ best efforts, they were unable to get the driver out of the Honda in time. The victim was later identified as Jose Oscar Granda.
Garcia was arrested on the scene after performing roadside exercises and was taken to collect a sample of his breath. When he refused to cooperate, police obtained a warrant to take a blood sample. Authorities didn’t immediately reveal the result of the blood analysis.
The investigation revealed, per detectives, that Garcia was seen before the crash speeding in a 35 mph residential zone, switching lanes to dodge slower moving vehicles and using a police-like siren. The tow truck’s airbag control module showed that Garcia was driving at 81 mph — 46 mph over the limit — three seconds before the crash. Detectives added that there was no evidence that Garcia hit the brakes before the collision.
On Tuesday, Garcia turned himself in to Miami Police Department headquarters. His next court date is Feb. 9, court records show.
This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 5:52 PM.
