A drive along Interstate 95 in northern Miami-Dade turned into a criminal case on Saturday, with police accusing 32-year-old Nathan Romero of trying to run over two men before crashing into a concrete wall and an unmarked police car.
Authorities say the two men managed to jump out of the vehicle’s path and were not hit. After the crash, officers say Romero stepped out of his car holding a knife. According to police, he discarded the weapon when ordered and surrendered at the scene.
How police say the crash unfolded
An arrest report cited by Local 10 states that Romero was behind the wheel of a black Toyota Corolla on I-95 near the Miami Gardens Drive exit when the chaos began. Investigators say he reversed into a black Mitsubishi, then drove “towards both victims” in what officers described as an apparent attempt to run them down.
The report says both men were able to leap out of the way. The Corolla then struck the Mitsubishi and an unmarked sergeant’s vehicle before coming to a stop. Police say Romero exited the car armed with a knife, was ordered to drop it, threw the knife aside and was taken into custody.
Charges and legal stakes
Prosecutors have charged Romero with aggravated battery on a law-enforcement officer and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the arrest report. Under Florida law, aggravated battery covers a battery that causes great bodily harm or involves a deadly weapon and is typically a second-degree felony…