Friends of the man who died after a car drove into a dining area outside a Miami Beach restaurant Friday are speaking out days after the tragedy.
Gary Prince, 67, was enjoying a meal outdoors with friends at Call Me Gaby restaurant when he was fatally struck.
“I think he was just like a very kind, generous man, and he cared about all the people around him more than himself,” Dr. Naaman Abdullah, one of Prince’s friends said. “Very selfless and I think he should be remembered as a very special person.”
Police said a woman was trying to parallel park when she reversed her Bentley into the restaurant, hitting seven people including Prince.
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Abdullah and Jeremy Ruccio spoke exclusively to NBC 6 about the accident. Abdullah was there during the tragedy. He was also hurt.
“My leg was stuck underneath the car, and I heard people screaming, and I saw the wheel of the car still spinning,” Abdullah said. “Within ten seconds, everybody starts running toward the car because there was a child underneath the car that was crying and they lifted the car to get the child out.”
Among those hospitalized were the 3-year-old who suffered what were described as minor cuts and bruises. Three had been released from the hospital as of Friday afternoon, while the child and two others remained hospitalized in stable condition.
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Abdullah suffered injuries to his arm, leg, and right eye but said that in the moment all he could think about was Prince.
“It didn’t really click until the next day,” Jeremy Ruccio said. “We just couldn’t. We were in shock for the first day. The next day when I went to the office, I just really, I just broke down at one point and acknowledged that I’ll never see him again.”
The driver of the car remained at the scene and is cooperating while detectives work to determine what exactly happened.
