Three joggers were injured after being hit by a car on the 79th Street Causeway Saturday morning, officials said.
A man driving in the westbound lanes fell asleep at the wheel and plowed into a group of joggers on the causeway near Pelican Harbor in Miami, according to Miami Fire Rescue.
Two women were airlifed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical, but stable condition, Miami Police said. A male jogger sustained minor road rash injuries.
One of the women who was airlifted had gone over a street rail after being hit by the car and another jogger helped her get out of the brush on the other side, authorities said. The car also took down a light pole.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Berlin Gabriel, 22, who was arrested for driving without a valid license, police said. Court records show Gabriel has had 13 prior license suspensions.
Gabriel's girlfriend was in the car at the time of the crash and her mother said she didn't know his license was suspended.
"She did not know and I did not know. I would not have let my daughter go in the car with him," Debbie Ancrum said.
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The two were not injured, but police said the two women suffered serious head trauma.
"I'm hurting, but it could have been much worse," said Micah Gill, the other runner who sustained minor injuries. "I'm just the lucky one that didn't end up in trauma."
Gill said the group of five runners was training for the Miami Marathon.
"Generally, as a rule, it's safety in numbers," he said. "We're talking, we're chatting and then the next thing I know, I'm just being tossed about."
The westbound lanes of the causeway were closed following the crash, but later reopened.
Stay with NBC6.com for updates on this developing story.
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