A devastated family is mourning the loss of a father of two who, police said, was killed in a grisly chain-reaction crash in Miami.
New cellphone video captured the horrific moments that followed what police described a hit-and-run wreck outside Shenandoah Park, Tuesday evening.
According to City of Miami Police, the crash took place at the intersection of Southwest 21st Avenue and 19th Street, just after 6:50 p.m.
Witnesses said the force of the impact said the victim airborne.
“The accident was so gruesome that he had lost his leg,” said area resident Marcos Mere.
Loved ones identified the deceased victim as 50-year-old Andrew Loretta.
His family posted about their heartbreaking loss. A Facebook post reads in part:
“Our youngest son Andy, our baby, tragically passed away yesterday after being struck by a vehicle while jogging in Miami. His wonderful wife Michelle and beautiful children Lili and Lucas are heartbroken.”
Mere said he heard a deafening noise.
“I heard the bang, a real loud bang,” he said witness.
“I have a traffic accident with multiple patients,” a 911 dispatcher said in radio transmissions.
“To me, it didn’t sound like an accident; it sounded like maybe a bomb or something, it was so loud,” said Mere.
A 7News crew arrived shortly after the crash and met Mere, who said he ran out of his home to discover Loretta’s body.
A Tesla camera caught the chilling moment. The force of the impact was so strong that Loretta flew several feet off the ground.
Mere gasped when 7News showed him the video from the Tesla.
“I got a [better] idea. It makes it even more gruesome,” he said.
Investigators identified the driver responsible for the crash as 36-year-old Andres Fiallo Estupinan.
After the suspect struck Loretta, police said, he hit a parked unoccupied car. The force from that impact caused the latter vehicle to hit an ice cream truck that had a driver inside.
Although he was injured, detectives said, Fiallo Estupinan got out of his car and ran off, but he was tackled by witnesses at Shenandoah Park
7News captured the suspect handcuffed to his gurney as paramedics wheeled him inside Ryder Trauma Center. Police said he’s in their custody, and his next stop is the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
Rescue crews also transported the woman who was behind the wheel of the ice cream truck when Fiallo Estupinan’s vehicle plowed into it.
Her son, Juan Lugo, told 7News he was waiting to learn more about his injured mother’s condition.
Meanwhile, Loretta’s loved ones continue to grieve. Their Facebook post reads in part:
“It’s impossible to put into words the impact of this loss … please cherish your loved ones.”
As of Wednesday night, police have not provided an update about the conditions of Fiallo Estupinan and the ice cream truck driver, as they continue to investigate.