NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - Two children were taken to the hospital after, police said, they crashed a stolen car into a tree in North Miami, Monday night.
North Miami Police and Miami-Dade Police responded to the scene of a crash in the area of Northeast Fifth Avenue and 141st Street, just before 6 p.m. According to investigators, the male juveniles, who are 10 and 14 years old, and possibly one more occupant, were in the car when it lost control and hit a tree.
Investigators said 14-year-old Kevin Flores, whom they believe was driving the car, fled the accident, leaving the injured 10-year-old behind. “When we arrived, we noticed a little boy, about 10 years old, who was injured, on the side of the road,” said North Miami Police Cmdr. Rafael Estrugo.
Officials said the 10-year-old sustained serious injuries to his face. Paramedics airlifted him from the scene as a trauma alert to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Police said they took the 14-year-old into custody near 143rd Street and Memorial Highway. He injured his arm in the accident. After being bandaged, police put him in a cruiser and took him to JMH for treatment.
Flores now faces charges of grand theft auto.
The man who owns the vehicle said he was too frightened to show his face on camera. “The night Miami Police call me to let me know that my car was involved in a car accident,” he said, “so that’s what I know about it.”
7News cameras captured the stolen vehicle being towed from the scene of the crash.
The car owner was concerned for the lives of the children, from a fatherly perspective. “When I got to the scene, the only one thing that came in my head, as a father,” the car owner said, “all I say is, ‘I hope the kids are OK.'”
Both have been arrested and will be charged, according to police. They remain at JMH but are expected to be OK.
Police believe there may have been a third passenger, believed to be between the ages of 10 and 16 years old. “We are looking for the other occupants that were in the car,” said Estrugo.
“The parents need to make sure they have control over the kids,” the car owner said.
According to police, the keys were left inside the car that was stolen. The victim was waiting for his insurance company to pick up his car when, police said, the kids took advantage of the situation.
Police continue to investigate if other teenagers were inside the car.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of the third passenger, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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