A family is asking the driver involved in a deadly Miami-Dade hit-and-run to come forward after a 10-year-old girl was killed and her brother was seriously injured while the siblings were riding an electric bicycle.
The crash happened Wednesday evening near Northwest 117th Street and Northwest 7th Avenue. Investigators say the driver was traveling north on Northwest 7th Avenue before turning left and striking the children. The driver then left the scene.
The girl, identified by her family as Payton Williams, died from her injuries. Her brother, Brent, was also seriously hurt and was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.
At a vigil held Monday night, relatives, friends and community members gathered to remember Payton and support her brother as he continues to recover.
“Come forward. Turn yourself in,” the children’s mother, Shaniq, said. “You hit my kid, you didn’t stop.”
She said the family is struggling with the loss, especially because Payton and Brent were very close.
Shaniq said Brent is awake and stable, but she has not yet told him that his younger sister died.
“It’s gonna be the trauma all over again from the first time it happened because they were very close,” she said.
The children’s aunt, Katrina Kearce, also urged the driver to surrender.
“These are babies, these kids,” Kearce said. “Turn yourself in. Have a heart.”
The family and friends gathered around candles and memorial items during the vigil, while Payton’s three older siblings prayed for Brent and mourned the loss of their sister.
Investigators locate vehicle involved in crash
The investigation has since moved forward. Detectives with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit have located the vehicle believed to have been involved in the crash.
The vehicle is now in the Sheriff’s Office’s custody, but authorities have not announced an arrest.
Investigators had previously described the suspected vehicle as a silver or gray 2009–2012 Nissan Versa.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and are asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision or have information about the vehicle or driver to come forward.
Information can be provided anonymously through Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
For Payton’s family, the search for answers continues as they grieve her death and hope her brother makes a full recovery.
