A fatal hit-and-run crash cost a Miami police officer his job after he also fled the scene, leaving the victim dying in the street.
Esmat Khedr, 63, was riding her electric bike past police headquarters on Washington Avenue when she was struck from behind by a blue Ford Bronco that fled the scene without stopping.
Seconds later, frantic onlookers flagged down and alerted Miami Beach Police Officer Edward Cavalie, 41, who was driving by in his patrol car, but he told them to find someone else and drove off.
When her colleagues arrived at the scene they were unable to do anything to help the unconscious woman who was later declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
The callous officer has been fired, but Khedr’s devastated husband has been left wondering whether his wife might still be alive if Cavalie had bothered to help her.
“Every day he takes his lunch to my mother’s grave and eats at the grave, because he needs to feel that she is still alive and that she is eating with him,” one of her sons told wsvn.com.
Former Miami Beach Police Officer Edward Cavalie at his swearing-in on July 11 of last year
Security footage captured the moment Cavalie’s patrol car drove away (top left) seconds after he was alerted to the dying hit-and-run victim (circled at top).
Cavalie had been with the department for less than a year when the accident occurred on the afternoon of April 28.
The Bronco was driven by Demarcus Cortez Harrington, 43, who crashed into Kehdr’s motorcycle as it passed by, throwing her onto the sidewalk where she hit her head.
Witnesses saw Harrington look back in his rearview mirror without stopping and shrug before continuing his drive, an arrest warrant states.
Newly released security footage shows bystanders speaking with Cavalie, who “directed the civilians who reported the collision to go inside the police station and file the report themselves,” according to Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones.
Cavalie is seen turning the corner and walking away before other officers run out of the police building as witnesses began filing the police report they had asked Cavalie to provide.
Meanwhile, Harrington stopped when he was out of sight and was intercepted by a friend who was driving immediately ahead of him.
The friend, who knew Harrington from a local strip club, later told police they were returning their rented Ford Broncos to Miami International Airport when he heard the “thud” from Harrington’s collision.
After stopping, he asked Harrington if he had “hit anyone” and pleaded with his friend to return to the scene, according to a police report.
Esmat Khedr, 63, had started a new life in Florida, living on nearby Pennsylvania Avenue with her husband after moving from her native Egypt.
The camera captured the moment the blue Ford Bronco driven by Demarcus Harrington collided with Khedr’s electric bike, sending it headfirst into the sidewalk.
Bystanders rushed to help the fatally wounded woman as Harington and Cavalie drove away.
Demarcus Cortez Harrington looked in his rearview mirror and shrugged after hitting Khedr in his rented Ford Bronco, according to witnesses.
But Harrington reacted furiously, insisting he “would not go back to jail” and leaving his friend fearing he would “shoot and kill him” if he spoke to police.
Harrington abandoned the rented Bronco and left the scene on foot, and it took officers nearly two months to track him down and charge him with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a death.
However, it was only three days before internal investigators were alerted to Cavalie’s conduct.
“This response was negligent and a clear violation of our departmental policy,” Jones said.
‘After a thorough investigation, Mr. Cavalie’s employment was terminated immediately.’
Khedr had been living on nearby Pennsylvania Avenue after arriving from Egypt with her husband.
His children, who still live in the North African nation and did not want to be identified, said Miami 7News that his family is struggling to come to terms with what happened.
“We are still suffering,” one of them told the radio station. “Nothing can bring my mother back to me. It was a very bad time. It was very difficult.”
“We thought, you know, we couldn’t imagine that something like this could happen. Accidents can happen anywhere, but a hit and run is a terrible thing.
‘He is a person who takes care of everyone. He always needed people to be happy around him. He is a very kind person.
“When you see that a member of your family has been arrested for a crime, you always feel bad, you think: ‘I need justice.'”
Harrington has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2001 in his native Iowa and has served prison time for a number of serious crimes.
He is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center ahead of his next scheduled court appearance on Oct. 2.
A friend who was driving the Bronco ahead of Harrington said they “almost came to blows” when the suspected killer refused to return to the scene after the couple stopped nearby.
Khedr’s children told 7News that their mother “always needed people to be happy”
Chief Jones said Cavalie was still on his probationary period after joining the department in July of last year, and that his “negligence” should not reflect on the rest of his officers.
“It is critical to emphasize that all members of this department are held to the highest standards and any behavior similar to that exhibited by Mr. Cavalie will not be tolerated,” he added.
‘Their actions are not indicative of the dedication and professionalism of the hard-working men and women of the Miami Beach Police Department.’
‘Our prayers remain with the victims of this tragic incident.’