Michael Malik Harvey faces murder and other charges after authorities said he crashed into a Fort Lauderdale canal while fleeing deputies in a stolen van Sunday night, killing his passenger. The Broward Sheriff’s Office said the incident began around 7:25 p.m. when a deputy spotted Harvey driving the van recklessly in the 4000 block of Southwest 33rd Avenue in West Park. A check of the tag showed the white GMC van had been reported stolen out of Miami-Dade, and the deputy activated his emergency lights and tried to stop the van.
Harvey didn’t stop and struck a deputy’s marked vehicle as he fled, authorities said. The deputy stayed at the scene but a Pembroke Pines Police officer spotted the van on West Hallandale Beach Boulevard, just west of Interstate 95. At one point, Harvey intentionally turned the van toward the officer, forcing the officer to “take evasive action” to avoid being struck, officials said.
A pursuit ensued involving multiple law enforcement agencies as Harvey drove to an RV park along the 2300 block of State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale, officials said. He crashed through a closed metal gate driving the wrong way and entered the canal, as deputies, BSO Dive Team, and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded and removed Harvey from the water. Video showed divers combing the water at Yacht Haven Park and Marina after the van ended up in the water.
“He went between the two pilings and into the water, of course the police surrounded the place and there was a guy on top of the water in the van and it sank pretty fast. The cops dove in, got the guy and pulled him out, and immediately started doing CPR on him,” witness James Bardwell said. The female passenger was also removed from the water and rushed to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The passenger’s identity wasn’t released.
Harvey suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash. The multi-agency pursuit involved the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Pembroke Pines Police, and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue in the dramatic chase that ended at the marina. The stolen van investigation originated in Miami-Dade County before the deadly pursuit crossed into Broward County jurisdictions including West Park, Pembroke Pines, and Fort Lauderdale.