A motorcyclist died on Friday after he was struck by a car driven by a man from Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
Rafael Romero, 63, passed away Friday morning, according to his daughter.
Preliminary investigations reveal that around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday Gil A. Maldonadoespejo, 50, was driving a white 2018 Toyota Corolla when he made an illegal U-turn with a No U-turn sign posted northbound on Northwest 42nd Avenue. Romero was driving a 2003 Honda Shadow motorcycle when investigators said the car driven by Maldonadoespejo caused a collision. The crash happened at LeJeune Road and Northwest 11th Street, just south of State Road 836.
According to Miami-Dade Police, Maldonadoespejo immediately abandoned the car after the crash, leaving the car in the right lane on Northwest 42nd Avenue.
A Miami-Dade Police officer saw the driver walking southbound on the same street. The police officer said he then watched the man, later identified as Maldonadoespejo, walk to the rear of a Chevron Gas Station and could be seen on the telephone.
The car’s owner, who was contacted by police said Maldonadoespejo had accompanied him to the Miami International Airport where he was to drop him off and drive the car back to the owner’s house.
He said Maldonadoespejo telephoned him soon after the crash and sounded disoriented. He said that his head was hurting, but the man said the phone then went dead.
Detectives said Maldonadoespejo eventually returned to the scene of the crash. But since he decided to leave in the first place, detectives are considering it a hit-and-run crash.
Maldonadoespejo is facing multiple charges including leaving the scene of the crash.
Comment from Anidjar and Levine:
Marc Anidjar, from the Law Firm of Anidjar and Levine, comments on this crash. “One motorcyclist is dead following this unfortunate accident which happened at LeJeune Road and Northwest 11th Street, just south of State Road 836. Our condolence goes to the families of the dead and motorcyclists. Injuries sustained in a motorcycle or vehicle accident can affect the lives of all parties involved and their families who feel the effects even when they are not directly involved. The pain and suffering that comes with these incidents can become a major burden on day-to-day life.”
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