17-Year-Old Walks Away From Violent Hialeah Crash

Four women injured when SUV flips in early morning crash

Four women are lucky to be alive after the SUV they were in was involved in a rollover crash early Thursday in Hialeah.

The crash happened around 1 a.m., in the 1700 block of West 49th St., and 17-year-old Anay Torres can hardly remember what happened, just how awful it was.

"Those were the baddest five minutes of my entire life," she said.

She was riding in the front passenger seat as her cousin drove the SUV home from McDonald's after they got a late-night snack.

Two other friends rode in the back. None wore their seat belts.

"We were talking to guys in the Chrysler," she said, though she insists she didn't know who the people were. Torres isn't sure what happened next because she was unlocking her cell phone to text someone.

Hialeah police say the silver Chrysler 300 sedan was likely speeding, and triggered the accident.

Detective Carl Zogby said Torres' cousin, 21-year-old Diana Penate, swerved to avoid a Mustang that was probably trying to get out of the Chrysler's way. Diana's car clipped the Mustang, then struck a utility poll and a bus stop, flipping upside down.

Somehow, Torres crawled out the back window.

"I don't know how I got out," she said. She saw her friends, 19-year-old Anais Munoz and 22-year-old Ludiet Reyes sprawled out on the ground around her. They'd been ejected.

Then she heard cries from the front seat.

"My cousin started screaming my name. She told me to help her." But all Torres could do was tell her trapped cousin that rescuers were on their way. It took firefighters 29 minutes to cut through the SUV and free her.

The Chrysler didn't hit anything, and left the scene.

Crews flew Penate, Munoz, and Reyes to Jackson Memorial Hospital.  Munoz was in critical condition, the other two were in serious condition.

That has Torres wondering how she made it.

"Why are they like that? Why nothing happened to me? Was it a miracle?" she said.

Hialeah police are looking for the Chrysler 300 that was last seen headed east on West 49th St.

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