Miami Fire Rescue responded Thursday to a car accident involving eight people, including five children and a K-9 officer from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The crash happened on Northwest Flagler Street and 57th Avenue around 6 p.m as outer bands from Hurricane Matthew swept through the area.
Police said the officer, a 23-year veteran, was on his way to a call when he collided with an Audi A4. An official said the officer had his lights and sirens on.
Three adults and five children were inside the Audi. The car made a left turn on Flagler as the police cruiser traveled south on 57th Avenue. Police saod the traffic lights at the interection were off because of the a power outage from Hurricane Matthew.
The officer was taken to Doctors Hospital. All five children, ranging from an infant to 9 years old, were taken to the hospital. One toddler boy was in critical condition. Another 1-year-old was in stable condition. The male driver was also in critical condition.
Miami-Dade Police is the lead department in the investigation because a Miami-Dade officer was involved. The investigation is on-going.
