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Police say woman, 24, was passenger in car involved in Bal Harbour hit-and-run

Vehicle recovered; driver remains at large

Police still searching for person involved in Bal Harbour hit and run that killed teen

BAL HARBOUR, Fla. – Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta confirmed Tuesday that a 24-year-old woman who authorities had been searching for was not the driver who fatally struck a 14-year-old boy over the weekend in Bal Harbour, but was a passenger.

Zabaleta said detectives are still speaking with Luisa Fernanda Ahearn’s attorney, however, she has not been charged and it’s unclear whether she will face any charges. It’s also unclear whether there were any other passengers in the car.

Authorities are still searching for the driver.

The vehicle -- a silver 2018 Kia Optima -- has been recovered, authorities confirmed Tuesday morning. Authorities would not disclose where it was found.

Local 10 News went to the Southwest Miami-Dade County home where that car is registered, and two people who left the home said its owner wasn’t home and had been unreachable.

Police have not said whether the owner of the car is who they believe was behind the wheel for the fatal crash.

According to police, the car plowed into Ethan Gordon Saturday night as the teen was riding his bicycle across Collins Avenue.

Police said the driver never stopped to help Gordan, but fled north on Collins and then west on 163rd Street.

The impact was so great, one witness took a photo showing Gordon’s bike split in half.

Surveillance video obtained exclusively by Local 10 News shows the silver Kia passing by a neighboring condo building seconds before the impact.

Bal Harbour police arrived at the scene soon after the crash.

Loved ones set up a small memorial Sunday night remembering Gordon as police continue to search for both Ahearn and the silver Kia with right front-end and windshield damage, with Florida tag IYY-I58.

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


About the Authors
Trent Kelly headshot

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

Sanela Sabovic headshot

Sanela Sabovic joined Local 10 News in September 2012 as an assignment editor and associate producer. In August 2015, she became a full-time reporter and fill-in traffic reporter. Sanela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in radio, television and film from DePaul University.

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