Man sends police on chase; wife claims medical problem

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have arrested a man after he led them on a chase for about 10 minutes through the streets of Kendall Friday.

Miami-Dade Police arrested 26-year-old Kevin Prater after police attempted to pull him over at Southwest 88th Street and 127th Avenue, but Prater took off. Police said he then bailed out and ran across a field. Several officers eventually tackled him in the area of Southwest 95th Street and 117th Avenue.

The van Prater was driving was occupied with 10 passengers. According to those in the car, Prater has a history of panic attacks and he had one when the brakes failed, causing the driver to run a red light and sideswipe another vehicle.

"The guy is a maniac. He needs to be put away until he learns to obey the law just like everybody else," Andrew Pena said. "Thank God that there was a motorcycle cop, which by God's will he was there. He turned on his lights and kept pursuing him."

Prater's wife claims her husband had a panic attack after he couldn't get the car to stop. "His brakes all of a sudden stopped. He couldn't hit his brakes. He hit his emergency brakes and it wouldn't stop. We were screaming out the window to the officer," Barbara Marquez-Prater said.

Police said an officer saw Prater hit his wife when he was driving away from police. "In no way shape or form did my husband ever lay a hand on me in this vehicle or anytime in the two years we have been married," said Barbara.

Prater has a history of burglary arrests with the law, but his wife said his life has turned around, and it's all a big misunderstanding. "He was not trying to put anyone on a chase. He simply couldn't get the brakes to stop and just for fear of them having weapons and we had children in the back seat. He wasn't going to put anybody's life in danger," Barbara said.

Rescue crews transported Prater to Baptist Hospital, but police have since taken him to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Prater faces charges of domestic battery, aggravated fleeing and alluding, resisting arrest without violence, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and knowingly driving with a suspended license.

Prater's family is hoping someone may have seen something that may exonerate him. They said he had a car issue and then a panic attack.

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