Arrest made in Uber crash that left 1 man dead

Alexander Chica, 21, faces charges in crash 2 days after Christmas

MIAMI – An arrest has been made following a crash that left one man dead just two days after Christmas.

Pablo Sanchez Jr. took an Uber car home on Dec. 27 after a night out with friends, but as the Uber driver, Jean Ralph Adam, was en route to take Sanchez home, his GMC Yukon was struck by a Toyota Corolla near SW 157th Avenue and SW 144th Street.

Officials said the driver of the Corolla, Alexander Chica, was traveling at a high rate of speed. The impact caused the Yukon to roll over on its side and both vehicles caught on fire.

Sanchez was pronounced dead at the scene and three other passengers, Bryant G. Austin, 19, Raymond A. Pimentel, 19, and Carlos Gonzalez, 20, were taken to Kendall Regional Trauma Center.

Police said an investigation found that Chica was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

"The arrest is not surprising given the magnitude of the impact as evidenced by the photographs. Unfortunately for victim Pablo Sanchez Jr., the Uber driver still violated the right of way directly causing and contributing to the accident that took Pablo's life," Sanchez's family attorney Andrew Yaffa said in a statement Thursday. "It is a tragic situation across the board. Had the Uber driver fulfilled his responsibility, the accident never would have happened regardless of Mr. Chica's intoxication and speed."

Chica was initially denied bond because of a tweet he posted a week before his arrest that said, "A little Colombia run coming soon."

Prosecutors feared that Chica knew his pending toxicology results would show that he was drunk and said he probably planned to get away to family.

"He's not the type of kid -- neither is his family the type of people -- that are going to flee from a situation or a problem," Chica's attorney, Susy Ribero-Ayala, said.

Chica faces charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily harm and vehicular manslaughter.


About the Author:

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."