A driver was in custody after a pedestrian died and several others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving a school bus in Hialeah Gardens.
The crash happened before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of NW 103rd Street and NW 77th Avenue.
Investigators said 38-year-old Lavarius Bethel was driving a Dodge pickup truck south on State Road 826 when he hit the pedestrian, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
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The Dodge then crashed into a black Audi sedan, a white Honda sedan and a school bus, the FHP said.
The pedestrian died at the scene, and the driver of the Audi was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center. Fourteen middle schoolers on the school bus only had minor injuries.
"We got the better end of the stick, really. Us and the people on the bus, we’re fine. Thank God," said 16-year-old Alex Rodriguez, who was in the white Honda with his dad.
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Bethel was booked into jail Wednesday and is awaiting criminal charges, the FHP said. Investigators collected samples of blood to determine if Bethel was impaired while driving, and the results are pending.
Records show that Bethel has a long traffic history of over 30 citations for driving an unsafe vehicle, reckless driving and driving without a license.
The southbound 826 exit ramp to NW 103rd Street and a portion of 103rd was shut down for the investigation.
