Car Reportedly Falls 9 Stories Inside Miami Parking Garage

MIAMI, FL — A car reportedly plunged nine floors inside a Miami hotel parking garage early Tuesday evening and burst into flames, sending smoke billowing from the downtown garage.

The parking garage was for guests of the YVE hotel Miami and was also open to the public. The garage is located at 130 Biscayne Blvd.

An official with Miami Fire Rescue told reporters at the scene the garage was to be shut down at least until Wednesday, which meant that vehicle owners had to find other transportation.

"A vehicle was being lifted by a lift system that is used to park cars in that building," Officer Michael Vega of the Miami Police Department told Patch. "The car slipped off, fell and caught fire."

Matt Olechnowicz, the owner of the Accura TL that burst into flames, told Local 10 News "that car was almost like a kid to me." He said he suspects the manual vehicle was left in gear when it was placed on the vehicle elevator, causing it to fall nine floors and burst into flames.

"It's not about the car. It's not about the money," he told the news crew. "It's about the car really meant so much to me."

Vega said no was injured.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano