NORTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A driver was taken to the hospital with a leg injury following a road rage confrontation along the Florida Turnpike in Northwest Miami-Dade, authorities said.
7Skyforce hovered along the southbound lanes of the Turnpike near where Interstate 95 merges with the Palmetto Expressway, just before 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there was some sort of altercation between the driver of a black pickup truck and the driver of a white van.
While they were stopped in traffic, investigators said, the driver of the pickup truck, identified as 36-year-old Jairo Rodriguez, exited his vehicle and headed toward the van in an aggressive manner.
In an attempt to avoid the confrontation, authorities said, the driver of the van decided to take off, and that’s when he struck Jairo with the van’s side mirror.
Jairo’s brother, Joan Rodriguez, later spoke with 7News.
“I got a call from my brother saying that he got hit by a car,” he said.
Miami Gardens Police officers and FHP troopers were seen talking with both drivers involved in the incident.
Even though investigators are calling his sibling the aggressor in this incident, Joan said, there is more to this story.
“They were driving, then my brother stepped out of the car, ’cause the guy – supposedly the was saying that, to step out of the car, and then my brother got out of the car, and the guy came and he hit [my brother],” he said. “He sideswiped [my brother] with the vehicle. You could see right there.”
Paramedics with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported Jairo to Jackson North Medical Center with a cut on his leg.
7News cameras captured the 36-year-old walking out of the hospital. He went on to tell his side of the story.
“We got into an altercation on Commercial Road. He cut me off and brake checked me, pumped his breaks. So, I went around him and flicked him off and I thought that was the end of it,” said Jairo.
He said after an exchange of gestures in Broward County with the man in the van, he headed for work in Miami-Dade. About 20 minutes later, Jairo said the white van appeared beside him on the Florida Turnpike near the Golden Glades and told him to pull over.
“We’re in bumper to bumper traffic and he pulled up next to me and he was telling me to pull over. So I pulled over and when I pulled over and got out of the car to see what was going on, he accelerated his car at me,” he said.
When asked why he got out of the car in the first place, he said, “I’m not sure. I was just going to see what we were gonna do, what was the problem? What was happening? Like why is he chasing me?”
He said for a moment he was pinned between his truck and the van and then he was injured.
“He ripped my inside open. He squished me between both of ours cars, pinned me and literally my side hip exploded from the pressure,” he said.
7News cameras captured Jairo’s injuries across his leg, which he attributed it to tire marks, and a hole on his hip. He said he needed 10 stitches.
“Literally the tire marks. Of his tire marks and shoulder to shoulder pressed and I got both of my hips,” he said.
When asked about FHP’s readout of the incident, Jairo said that’s far from what occurred.
“I didn’t chase him, I didn’t follow him. He followed me, he kept looking for an altercation, and when I got out of the car, he tried to kill me with his vehicle,” he said.
Despite the blame being placed on him by investigators, Jairo said he was not charged or ticketed.
“There’s nothing to charge me with because I didn’t do anything besides getting out of the car and when I get out of the car, he tried to kill me with his vehicle,” he said.
Troopers temporarily shut down the southbound lanes while they investigated. They have since reopened to traffic.
As of Wednesday afternoon, FHP officials have not released the identity of the other driver.
Jairo told 7News he plans to take legal action against the driver.
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