Driver of BMW repeatedly crashes into SUV in apparent South Beach road rage incident

Numerous incidents recently reported in same area

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A driver in South Beach was captured on surveillance video over the weekend repeatedly slamming into another vehicle several times.

The crash was reported about 6:30 a.m. Saturday along Ninth Street and Collins Avenue.

The video shows the driver of a white BMW slamming into a black Mercedes SUV, taking down a light pole in the process.

Someone rushed over to the driver's side window of the BMW, forcing the driver to accelerate, taking down the light pole.

While the passengers inside the BMW checked out the damage, the driver of the Mercedes tried to leave, but the driver of the BMW was not letting up.

The BMW driver quickly made a U-turn on Ninth Street and chased down the SUV, ramming into the vehicle again on Collins Avenue.

In an attempt to get away, the BMW driver made another U-turn on Ninth Street, picked up a passenger and rushed toward Ocean Drive.

"I was awoken to multiple crashes," Mitch Novick, who lives in the area, said.  

Novick owns the Sherbrooke Hotel near where the incident happened and posted the surveillance video to his Facebook page called the South Beach Sludge Report.

"No surprise," Novick said. "Same old each and every day." 

The apparent road rage incident is just one of a string of chaotic events reported in that very spot. Just 10 days ago, a large crowd was seen running west on Ninth Street toward Collins Avenue after someone allegedly saw someone waiving a weapon.

A day after that, a woman stopped traffic by twerking on the back of a car, creating her own dance party.

"We are making progress on the hit-and-run investigation from Saturday," Miami Beach police Chief Daniel Oates said in a statement. "We have seized the rental car in question and hope to identify the driver soon.

"Despite this unfortunate event, we have generally experienced a calm Spring Break so far. We have had thousands of visitors from around the world enjoying Miami Beach and Ocean Drive. We will be adding more security in the vicinity of Ninth Street and Ocean Drive for the remainder of Spring Break. As always, we appreciate and rely on our residents and businesses to be our eyes and ears, as our officers cannot be everywhere at all times."


About the Author:

Sanela Sabovic joined Local 10 News in September 2012 as an assignment editor and associate producer. In August 2015, she became a full-time reporter and fill-in traffic reporter. Sanela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in radio, television and film from DePaul University.