A suspect was critically injured after a fiery crash involving a Miami-Dade deputy's patrol cruiser following a short police pursuit early Wednesday morning, officials said.

During a press conference, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office spokesperson Angel Rodriguez said that at about 2:30 a.m., deputies were in pursuit of a suspect as he was traveling southbound on 87th Avenue. The driver then slammed their vehicle into a deputy's patrol cruiser.

"The suspect side swiped and rear ended the deputy, so basically the deputy was struck several times by the same suspect at least three times," said Rodriguez.

After striking the cruiser, the suspect lost control of their car and crashed into a tree, bursting into flames, authorities said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene, extinguished

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