A Broward Sheriff's deputy was injured in a hit and run crash that led to a high-speed chase Wednesday morning.
It all began at around 9:40 a.m. when the motorcyclist, identified as 31-year old Michael Ciriago of Hollywood was pulled over during a traffic enforcement operation on Weston Road near Royal Palm Boulevard in Weston.
Broward Sheriff's spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion says the suspect ran over a sergeant with his motorcycle.
"When one of the sergeants went to speak to this motorcyclist he tried to flee, injuring our sergeant," Concepcion says. "Some of the deputies fired on this motorcyclist and then began pursuing him until the BSO aviation unit was able to pick him up overhead."
That's when BSO says their units backed off. Ciriago, who had been hit by a bullet in his elbow apparently continued driving south into Miami Dade county with the BSO chopper tracking his every move. BSO says they coordinated assistance with the Miami Dade Police Department and the pursuit ended on Okechobbee Road near the Turnpike when Ciriago struck an unmarked BSO vehicle and then crashed into a Miami Dade police department unit.
While Ciriago was flown to Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition, the injured BSO sergeant, identified as John Kelly was treated at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston.
Just last September Kelly was in the news after he put himself in harm's way to help a west Broward crash victim amid a standoff with a shooting suspect on US 27.
A telephone communication technician with Celtic Communications also walked away unharmed though his car was struck by a bullet during the police confrontation in Weston. Michael Crory, the owner of Celtic told NBC6 he is "grateful it wasn't a more tragic situation. "
BSO says they are charging Ciriago with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and fleeing and eluding. Ciriago has a lengthy criminal record which includes arrests for kidnapping, drug possession and fleeing from police.
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John Rivera, President of the Miami Dade Police Benevolent Association showed up at the crash site in NW Dade and says no traffic stop is ever a routine. As for Ciriago, Rivera says" look where he's at now, he's at Ryder Trauma Center. It just doesn't pay to run from police."
Stay with NBC6.com and NBC 6 South Florida for updates on this developing story.
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