A pickup truck driver involved in a collision with a Miami motorcycle officer lied when he said he had swerved to avoid an accident with an elderly driver, police said Tuesday.
Hector Ramirez, 49, is facing a charge of providing false information on a crash report related to the accident that happened Monday afternoon in the area of Southwest 37th Avenue and Flagler Street, Miami Police spokesman Det. Willie Moreno said.
Ramirez had initially told police he struck Officer Juancarlos Erigoyen after he was cut off by an elderly driver who fled the scene, but red light camera footage revealed a different story, Moreno said.
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According to Moreno, the footage shows Ramirez and others stopped in traffic due to a red light before Ramirez's truck crosses a solid double yellow line and into the path of Erigoyen's motorcycle.
"Throughout the interview he kept on saying that there was a vehicle that cut him off. We had to show him this video and it was a while before he admitted that he lied,” Moreno said.
Erigoyen, a six-year veteran of the force, had been leading a funeral procession, Moreno said. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital to be treated for a possible broken shoulder.
Ramirez was also cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. It was unknown whether he has an attorney.
"Moral of the story: Stop, render aid and tell the truth," Moreno said in a statement.
