Miami

2 Dead, 1 Critical, Dozens Arrested During MLK Rideout in South Florida

Two people are dead and another is in critical condition following separate crashes involving ATVs and dirt bikes after hundreds of riders took to the streets of South Florida for the annual Martin Luther King Day Rideout.

Several agencies from Miami-Dade and Broward made 35 arrests, towed 74 vehicles and confiscated three guns during Monday's event, also known as the Wheels Up, Guns Down ride.

Law enforcement tried to crack down on illegal riding this year to keep the roads safer but it still got out of hand at times, and ended with a deadly crash in Miami Monday night.

Police said 25-year-old Javis Charles was riding a dirt bike when he collided with a Toyota Camry in the area of Northwest 6th Avenue and 54th Street. Charles was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he later died.

"I told him 'dirt bikes kill, I don't want you to have one,' then he ends up getting killed on the bike. Isn't that a coincidence?" said his mother, Carolyn Potter. "And it had to happen on MLK Day, non-violence day."

The other fatal crash happened Sunday and involved an ATV rider who was involved in a crash on the Palmetto Expressway. One bike rider was critically injured when he crashed into a truck at Northwest 167th Street and Northwest 27th Avenue in Miami, officials said.

Some riders who were arrested are facing charges including reckless driving, obstructing traffic and resisting arrest.

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