Eleven cyclists struck by cabbie on MacArthur Causeway; one critical

Eleven cyclists on a leisurely Sunday morning ride were plowed down by a cabbie as they rode east on the MacArthur Causeway near the Palm Island entrance, Miami Beach police said.

The 8 a.m. accident left many of the bicycle club's riders sprawled on the pavement of the eastbound lane of the causeway and quickly forced the closing of a section of the roadway into Miami Beach.

Six of the cyclists were rushed to local hospitals. The most seriously injured was a 48-year-old man who is in critical condition and undergoing surgery at Ryder Trauma Center; five others were in stable condition. The other five suffered severe road burn when thrown to the pavement and were treated at the scene.

Police said it is unclear why the Checkered Cab driver, identified as Herbert Morais, 52, also eastbound on the causeway, struck the riders from behind. He did not have any passengers onboard at the time.

After the accident, two bicycles were still attached to the cab, one crushed underneath it, the other by its front passenger door. The cab's windshield was shattered.

No charges have been filed yet.

Some of the injured were identified as:

Julio Fuentes, 47,

Gustavo Martinez, 43

Ramon Garcia, 45,

Roberto Canovaca, 44

Julio Suares, 33

Eastbound traffic toward Miami Beach was rerouted at Watson Island, around the Miami Children's Museum and Jungle Island. Westbound traffic on the causeway was also briefly restricted.