MIAMI – Newly released video shows the moment when a garbage truck driver lost control of his truck last month, falling off an elevated highway and landing in Miami's Jose Marti Park.
The crash was reported Feb. 15 on Interstate 95.
Miami Department of Fire-Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll said the truck fell nearly 100 feet to the ground after the driver, Kaseem Smith, crashed through a guardrail on the Seventh Street exit ramp and landed in the parking lot of the park.
The video shows Smith driving south on I-95 when he appears to lose control of the truck and crashes over the side of the road.
The windows shatter as the truck lands in the parking lot and Smith is ejected from the truck.
"How did he survive that accident? I mean, he fell 75 feet, he was ejected from the truck, and the video clearly shows it, and still he survived," Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Joe Sanchez said.
Authorities said Smith was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in serious condition. He has since been released from the hospital.
Jose Marti Park was open at the time, but no other injuries were reported.
Two vehicles in the parking lot were damaged.
"We are very happy that Mr. Kaseem Smith has been released from the hospital and that he survived this crash which the video shows is nothing short of a miracle," city manager Daniel J. Alfonso said in a statement Monday. "The recording is proof that this technology works and can provide answers about driving events that would otherwise be difficult to assess. The video shows Mr. Smith was not texting or using his phone and no other vehicle appears to be involved. We are still reviewing this case with Risk Management and Law Departments regarding what steps to follow next."