Name released of driver after deadly crash closes part of Palmetto for hours

Seven hours after a crash shut down a stretch of the southbound Palmetto Expressway near Doral, the lanes reopened Friday afternoon.

Deputies say that a gun was found at the scene, and that the crash was caused by the suicide of Reinerio De La Torre Toledo, 26, while driving a pickup truck.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash around 6:25 a.m. in the area of Northwest 54th Street and 77th Court, said spokesman Joseph R. Peguero Rivera.

Investigators say a pickup truck was going east when it “continued through the intersection and collided with a concrete barrier wall,” Peguero Rivera said in an email to the Miami Herald. The car went over the barrier wall and into the southbound lanes of the Palmetto Expressway and struck another car.

De La Torre Toledo was found dead, deputies say. The driver of the second car, who has not been identified, was injured and taken to a hospital and is in stable condition.

A gun was found at the scene, but detectives have not said if he died from a gunshot wound or the crash.

Traffic cameras showed two mangled cars on State Road 826 as rescue crews worked to clear the area.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s active call log showed 12 units on the scene.

The lanes were shut down on the Palmetto between Northwest 58th and 36th streets, causing major delays and backups. The road reopened around 1 p.m.

If you or someone you know is thinking about self harm, call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. It’s available 24/7.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 8:47 AM.