Florida Highway Patrol

Dashcam Footage Shows Brief Chase That Came to Crashing End in Miami-Dade

Leonardo Raxach faces several charges, including possession of cannabis, resisting an officer and reckless driving.

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Footage from the Florida Highway Patrol shows a brief chase that led to a crashing end and a 19-year-old arrested. NBC 6’s Stephanie Bertini reports

Newly released dashcam video shows a short chase that ended in a crash last week in northeast Miami-Dade.

The chase happened just after 8:30 p.m. April 9 on Interstate 95 south near Ives Dairy Road.

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In footage released Wednesday by the Florida Highway Patrol, state troopers make what looks like any other traffic stop -- the trooper approaches the vehicle and makes contact with the driver, 19-year-old Leonardo Raxach.

The arrest documents say that the trooper told him he would be searching the vehicle after Raxach appeared nervous during the traffic stop and couldn’t make eye contact with the trooper who was questioning him.

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With just a few minutes, things take a drastic turn.

That driver puts his foot on the gas and takes off.

And the trooper follows the car, riding the side of the expressway to catch up.

An exit away at Miami Gardens Drive, the chase ends — what you don’t see in the dashcam video is that the driver crashed and got hurt. The trooper approached to help him, but also warned him: “Let me see your hands, and don’t be stupid.” 

Back up arrived — and that’s when troopers say they learned after searching the car that Raxach wasn’t only driving recklessly, but he had drugs in the vehicle, as well as a modified airsoft Glock style gun, with the orange safety barrel tip cut off. Investigators said he also had a fully loaded high-caliber firearm magazine.

Raxach is facing several charges, including possession of cannabis, resisting an officer and reckless driving.

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