‘None of it makes sense.’ South Florida Lyft driver missing after 3-hour ride, family says

A South Florida Lyft driver disappeared earlier this week after completing a roughly three-hour, 100-mile ride, his family said. Police are now trying to find the man as his children search for answers.

Gary Levin, 74, hasn’t been heard from since Monday and his car was last spotted two days later in Gainesville, Palm Beach Gardens police said.

He is 5 feet 7 inches tall and 170 pounds. Police say his car is a 2022 red Kia Stinger with license plate number 81ABTY.

When asked if foul play may have been involved, Palm Beach Gardens police told the Herald it is an active investigation and that information is not available.

His daughter Lindsay DiBetta, 36, told the Miami Herald that something isn’t adding up about her father’s disappearance.

“None of it makes any sense,” DiBetta said. “Not in my wildest dreams could I fathom something like this ever happening.”

Since retiring, Levin has worked with Lyft for the last five years and is no stranger to completing long rides, some lasting up to two hours, DiBetta said. But he’s never cut off contact nor driven so far.

Authorities told DiBetta that Levin started a Lyft ride around 1:30 p.m. Monday in Delray Beach. After picking up the passenger, he drove to Okeechobee, completing the ride around 4:30 p.m.

His phone then turned off shortly after and hasn’t come back on since.

The next morning, his car was seen going north past Sumter County and Gainesville, she said.

“There would be no one he is going and seeing that wouldn’t say he got there,” DiBetta said. “He doesn’t know anyone out there.”

Police are asking anyone with information to call Palm Beach Gardens Police at 561-799-4445.