911 call reporting hit-and-run crash leads to deadly discovery, police say

A 911 call reporting a hit-and-run crash ended with police finding a man shot to death inside a crashed car in Miami Lakes on Thursday night.

The incident happened just before 7:30 p.m. around Northwest 146th Street and 89th Avenue in Miami Lakes, according to police.

Police said a gray Volkswagen was heading south on Northwest 89th Avenue when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree. Residents ran outside to find the crashed car and called police.

They told officers they saw a man running away.

When officers arrived, they found a bullet hole in the back window, said Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta.

Zabaleta said the driver’s seat was empty and there was a man in the back seat dead from at least one bullet wound.

“What happened? We still don’t know,” said Zabaleta, adding that police set up a perimeter to find the missing man who is believed to be the driver. “We really need to speak to him.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).

This story was originally published July 12, 2018 at 10:20 PM.