Miami-Dade man arrested in hit-and-run that killed 10-year-old girl and injured brother, sheriff's office says

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a 10-year-old girl and critically injured her 15-year-old brother while they were riding an e-bike in northwest Miami-Dade earlier this month. 

Arick Metayer, 33, surrendered to Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office detectives on Monday, nearly three weeks after the crash, according to his arrest report. He now faces three felony charges: leaving the scene of a crash involving a death, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, and tampering with physical evidence. 

According to the report, the crash happened on Sept. 9, at approximately 8:53 p.m. Metayer was driving a silver 2012 Nissan Versa northbound on Northwest 7th Avenue when he made a left turn onto Northwest 117th Street and struck the two children who were riding an electric motorcycle through the intersection. 

The victims' family identified them as Peyton Williams, 10, and her brother Brent, 15. Both were, according to detectives, ejected from the e-bike and thrown onto the roadway. 

They were both transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition, where Peyton died the following morning, according to the report. 

Investigators said Metayer did not stop after the crash. Instead, according to the affidavit, he fled west on Northwest 117th Street without rendering aid, providing identifying information, or notifying law enforcement.

During the investigation, detectives obtained surveillance video that showed Metayer stopping his car a short distance away, with him getting out of the driver's side door, walking around the vehicle to examine the passenger-side damage, then getting back in and driving away. 

Detectives linked Metayer's Nissan Versa to the crash through the vehicle parts that they recovered at the scene, which matched his car, according to the arrest report.

Through Metayer's phone records that investigators obtained through a search warrant, they placed him at a salvage yard in Davie on the day after the crash, the report said.

Records also showed, according to the report, that Metayer boarded a Brightline train from Miami to Orlando within roughly 24 hours of the crash.

A witness who accompanied Metayer to the salvage yard was later interviewed by detectives. According to the report, the witness said Metayer admitted he had been involved in a crash when the witness saw the damage to the vehicle.

The report states that later that evening, after the witness learned from coworkers that a fatal hit-and-run had occurred in the same area, the witness called Metayer and told him, "People are talking about you. That little girl died that you hit." According to the affidavit, Metayer responded, "I know. I'm going to hire an attorney."

On Monday, detectives contacted Metayer's attorney, Albert Quirantes, who arranged for his client to surrender at Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office headquarters, the report states. Metayer turned himself in later that day.

In court on Tuesday, Quirantes claimed his client tried to surrender weeks earlier, but detectives were not ready. He said Metayer had cooperated fully and described him as remorseful.

"He's extremely remorseful about the whole situation," Quirantes said.

Quirantes asked for a $20,000 bond, which he described as higher than the standard bond. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer said that was not enough.

"I really don't believe that's sufficient based on the allegations set forth here," Glazer said.

The judge also pushed back on Quirantes' argument that what happened could happen to anyone. She told him, "How about you stop and you help the people you hit and you left a child dead in the street and another child injured."

Glazer cited allegations that Metayer pulled over to look at his car and later made repairs using parts from a junkyard.

"It becomes criminal because he left the scene and left children there without rendering aid," Glazer said.

Glazer set Metayer's total bond at $165,000.