Palmetto Expressway

Investigation Underway After 5 Killed in Wrong-Way Crash on Palmetto

Briana Pacalagua, Daniela Marcano, Valeria Pena, Valeria Caceres and Giancarlos Arias' lives were taken in a matter of seconds.

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The driver that police say is responsible for a wrong-way crash that killed five young people over the weekend on the Palmetto Expressway has been arrested, but a question still remains for investigators: Why was he driving the opposite way?

Briana Pacalagua, Daniela Marcano, Valeria Pena, Valeria Caceres and Giancarlos Arias' lives were taken in a matter of seconds. Maiky Simeon, 30, faces five counts of vehicular homicide charges in connection with the Saturday crash.

Now police are trying to determine where the driver entered the highway and why. 

Family members of some of the five people killed in a wrong-way crash on the Palmetto Expressway in Miami-Dade over the weekend are speaking out as the investigation into the incident continued. NBC 6's Xochitl Hernandez reports.

The 67th Avenue exit in Miami-Dade is the closest exit to the crash. The next exit is at 154th Street, which is quite a long way to travel the wrong way without hitting another vehicle.

NBC 6 looked at the signage at the exit and found two red wrong-way signs on both sides of the roadway. One has some leaves covering a portion of the sign, but you can make out the message. There are also arrows on the roadway marking the direction of travel. 

But it’s important to note that the 67th exit has a shopping plaza that you can enter from the exit. The plaza includes a Mcdonald's that is open 24/7, but staff says a system failure caused the restaurant to shut down on that Saturday.

If a driver is leaving the plaza parking lot, they can no longer see the wrong way sign or the arrows on the roadway marking the direction of travel, however, there is a “one way” sign visible across from the parking lot exit. 

The Florida Department of Transportation is working to reduce the number of wrong-way wrecks. A study found one of the most effective tools is adding light up wrong way signs. FDOT says it’s part of the wrong way driving alert system that detects when vehicles are traveling in the wrong direction and then activates the lights to notify the driver. And an immediate alert is sent to officials and broadcast on electronic message boards for drivers.

This technology is pricey. NBC 6 reached out to FDOT to see if those lights or any other changes will be added to the 67th exit ramp or others, but we have not heard back.

As for the driver, a source says he is bruised up but alert and expected to be transported to jail in the next few days. Toxicology results are pending. 

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