MIAMI --
Three Miami police officers on bicycles were struck by a vehicle and injured Thursday morning.
Miami Fire Rescue said some Miami police officers training to become part of the bicycle unit were crossing U.S. 1 at 27th Avenue about 10:45 a.m. when a Honda SUV hit them.
"They had stopped traffic in the intersection with their lights, and the lady went around one of the police cars and basically ran into our bicycle class," said Miami Police Chief Manuel Orosa.
The impact sent three officers to the ground, one hitting the windshield of the SUV.
"The driver continued to go onto U.S. 1, did not see, apparently, a marked unit stopping traffic to allow the bicyclists that were training to cross U.S. 1, so fortunate enough, the three officers that were injured didn't sustain life-threatening injuries," said Kenia Reyes, of the Miami Police Department.
Witnesses watched as the investigators snapped photos of the damaged bikes before they were removed.
"I heard the boom," said witness Carlton Williams. "I knew someone got hit. I just didn't know how serious."
Miami police said three officers, Renee Beaudry, 44, Richard Diaz, 41, and Miguel Mercado, 47, were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. Police said they were undergoing tests to determine the extent of their injuries.
"The injuries that are obvious are definitely scrapes and bruises, but the more serious ones that we are concerned about are the impact of the car, and then also you have a second impact with the ground," said Lt. Ignatius Carroll, of Miami Fire Rescue. "So, a lot of that stuff cannot be determined until they have X-rays done. You never want to take shortcuts with any kind of internal injuries, so they were brought here to the Trauma Center."
Beaudry's sister, Michelle Costello, rushed to the hospital when she heard the news.
"I'm very worried. I'm panicked," Costello said. "I'm very concerned for her well-being."
Beaudry's are the most serious of the three officers' injuries.
"It looks like just maybe broken bones," Costello said. "Hopefully it's nothing more serious, but she's having a CAT scan right now."
The driver of the vehicle, Teresa Quintanilla, 56, stayed at the scene and was interviewed by police. Miami police said she has not been cited, but that the investigation is not yet complete.
Surveillance cameras may have captured the collision on video, although police have not yet released it.
U.S. 1 was closed in both directions at 27th Avenue, but it has since reopened.
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