Photo: miamiherald.com
Time is of the essence in the case of brain injuries, and in this particular case, time was not on Annie Becerra’s side. Because cops failed to find her body for more than an hour after the car she was traveling in crashed.
On November 30, 2018, in Miami, Florida, Annie was a passenger in a Nissan Versa driven by her one-time boyfriend Freddy Mieryteran. The Versa, a rental reported stolen, ran a red light at an intersection, crashed into a BMW, which, in turn, smashed into another car, the Miami Herald reports.
An off-duty Miami-Dade officer was on the scene and helped to capture Mieryteran, who tried to flee on foot. The officer also called in the Florida Highway Patrol and, in a matter of minutes, at least 5 officers were on the scene.
Not one of them saw Becerra’s body wedged between the front passenger seat and the dashboard, on the floorboard. They asked Mieryteran if there was anyone else with him in the car, but he insisted he was alone as he’d just dropped off his “baby mama” at home. To this day, he insists he was alone at the time of the crash.
Becerra’s family has filed a notice to sue against Miami-Dade and FHP, arguing that the 1 hour and 15 minutes it took cops to find the body could have been used to save her. The cops only found the body when they began a more thorough search of the vehicle, after cordoning off the area and speaking with witnesses.
“As a result, her brain continued to swell for an extended period of time, ultimately causing her death,” the attorneys for the family say. “Police departments must have clear policies and procedures in place to inspect vehicles following a serious accident to ensure that any passengers are accounted for. The failure to timely inspect the vehicle by Miami-Dade police and Florida Highway Patrol is inexcusable.”
Neither Miami-Dade nor FHP can comment on the case because of the pending litigation, but the police reports have been uncovered a few days ago. Officers for both stress that Mieryteran told them he was traveling alone and his conduct suggested the same: once he was retrieved from bushes, where he’d tried to hide, he sat in the backseat of the wrecked car, munching on leftover pizza.
Mieryteran was the father of Becerra’s baby but she had a restraining order against him, which was called off when she failed to show up in court. It is unknown why they were together in the car, since they were no longer in a relationship. Mieryteran faces a DUI manslaughter charge, among others.
An off-duty Miami-Dade officer was on the scene and helped to capture Mieryteran, who tried to flee on foot. The officer also called in the Florida Highway Patrol and, in a matter of minutes, at least 5 officers were on the scene.
Not one of them saw Becerra’s body wedged between the front passenger seat and the dashboard, on the floorboard. They asked Mieryteran if there was anyone else with him in the car, but he insisted he was alone as he’d just dropped off his “baby mama” at home. To this day, he insists he was alone at the time of the crash.
Becerra’s family has filed a notice to sue against Miami-Dade and FHP, arguing that the 1 hour and 15 minutes it took cops to find the body could have been used to save her. The cops only found the body when they began a more thorough search of the vehicle, after cordoning off the area and speaking with witnesses.
“As a result, her brain continued to swell for an extended period of time, ultimately causing her death,” the attorneys for the family say. “Police departments must have clear policies and procedures in place to inspect vehicles following a serious accident to ensure that any passengers are accounted for. The failure to timely inspect the vehicle by Miami-Dade police and Florida Highway Patrol is inexcusable.”
Neither Miami-Dade nor FHP can comment on the case because of the pending litigation, but the police reports have been uncovered a few days ago. Officers for both stress that Mieryteran told them he was traveling alone and his conduct suggested the same: once he was retrieved from bushes, where he’d tried to hide, he sat in the backseat of the wrecked car, munching on leftover pizza.
Mieryteran was the father of Becerra’s baby but she had a restraining order against him, which was called off when she failed to show up in court. It is unknown why they were together in the car, since they were no longer in a relationship. Mieryteran faces a DUI manslaughter charge, among others.
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