Teens are often inexperienced drivers and lack the skill and judgment to operate a car properly. This is especially true for unlicensed 16-year-olds. One 16-year-old – without a license – decided to steal a car and take it on a joyride through Miami. As a result, he crashed the car, killing one person and seriously injuring three others.
The accident occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 27, when the boy and four others drove through the city in a stolen Lincoln MKZ. The boy sped through a red light at an intersection, narrowly missing several cars. The boy swerved to avoid these cars and lost control. He hit a curb and struck a concrete pillar at Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center, two blocks from the accident. The entire incident was caught on a red light camera.
The impact of the crash caused the vehicle to catch fire. One of the passengers was trapped inside the vehicle and died at the scene. The other passengers were left injured inside the car, while the teen driver climbed out the sunroof, escaped and hitched a ride back home.
The injured passengers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where they remain in critical and stable conditions. The teen driver suffered injuries, as well, and his parents took him to a local hospital. He allegedly told them his injuries were caused by a fight.
When questioned by police, the boy finally admitted that he was driving the vehicle without a license. He also said the steering and brakes malfunctioned, causing the accident. Besides vehicular homicide, the boy faces charges of driving without a license, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident that caused personal injury and death.
Will the boy be tried as an adult and face serious consequences or will the judge be lenient on him? These are serious charges that the boy allegedly committed, but a conviction on these charges is not a requirement in order for the family of the teen who died or the passengers who were injured to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Source:
NBC Miami, “Teen charged in fatal Miami-Dade College Crash” Brian Hamacher, Aug. 29, 2013
