Family reeling after tragic end to girls' trip to Miami

Tourist from Chicago fell out of car on her way to airport

MIAMI – The family of a woman who was killed after falling out of car along the State Route 112 wants her to be remembered for who she was and not how she died.

Mariah Logan, who was a mental health technician at a residential center, was visiting Miami from the Chicago area when she was killed early Sunday.

"Her smile would brighten up a room. She didn't have to say anything. She was always praying for people, letting them know that God is there if you need him," said Xylina Griffin, Logan's sister.

Friends and family are devastated after a tragic end to a girls' trip to Miami.

"You don't expect to get a call like that at four in the morning. You know, about your little sister," Griffin said.

The four friends were celebrating a birthday. They had fun and were driving back to Miami International Airport. 

"They were on their way home. She was on her way back here. But now she will never come back," Griffin said.

Authorities said the 23-year-old was riding in the rear passenger seat of a rental car with her friends on Route 112 early Sunday.  Logan was hanging out the window, reportedly saying goodbye to Miami when investigators said she fell out of the car and was run over.

The driver of the Range Rover that hit her stopped, but he eventually left the scene. 

Logan's family in Illinois is trying to make sense of it all as police search for the driver of the SUV that struck her.


About the Author:

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.