MIAMI: Biker Facing Charges After Fatal Wheelie Crash in Miami, Police Say

A 25-year-old man made a remote bond court appearance from a hospital bed on Monday following a fatal motorcycle crash in Miami. Police stated the suspect was performing a wheelie on his Kawasaki motorcycle when he lost control.

The incident took place at approximately 4:25 p.m. on Thursday in the 300 block of Northeast 54th Street, situated between the Little Haiti and Buena Vista neighborhoods. The motorcycle collided with a BMW X5 traveling in the opposite direction after both the driver and his passenger were thrown off.

Crash details

Authorities reported that the driver, identified as Vito Cacciapaglia, fled the scene on foot while barefoot and wearing a white tank top and black shorts. Medics transported the passenger to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where the victim succumbed to critical injuries.

Investigators traced the motorcycle registration to Cacciapaglia's nearby apartment, where a roommate told police the suspect had returned injured and in an altered state of mind. Officers subsequently located Cacciapaglia at the hospital.

Cacciapaglia faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving death, reckless vehicular homicide, and providing a false name or identification. Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer set his bond at $100,000, ordered him not to drive if released, and required the Italian national to surrender his passport.