Teen crashes into stolen car in West Valley City neighborhood, killing innocent bystander
The 24-year-old man is dead, the 15-year-old driver is in custody.
(West Valley City Police Department) A man was killed when he was hit by a stolen car said to be being driven by a 15-year-old boy. The car also crashed into this house.
A man was killed Thursday night when a 15-year-old reportedly drove a stolen car through a West Valley City neighborhood, hitting several vehicles, a home and the victim.
According to police, an officer spotted a stolen car at 3100 S. Redwood Road shortly after 7 p.m. and followed it in an unmarked police car. The stolen vehicle turned west on 3100 South, stopped in the Lehi Drive and Beaver Street area, and the driver and two passengers exited. The police “approached the vehicle”; the two passengers – a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy – fled; and they were taken into custody.
The driver, a 15-year-old boy, got back in the car and drove off. An officer threw spike strips onto the roadway, causing the car to hit both the strips and a police vehicle – but did not stop. He “fleeed the scene at high speed,” police said.
Although officers did not pursue the vehicle, police said the driver lost control a few hundred yards away, went off the road, and drove through a yard near 3300 Lehi Drive. The car continued through a second yard and crashed into the house, severely damaging it. It also hit and killed a 24-year-old man standing in front of the house.
(West Valley City Police Department) A 15-year-old boy has been arrested after allegedly driving a stolen car into the yard on the right – after hitting the house on the left, killing a man standing in front .
The teenage driver continued into the next yard where he struck two other vehicles and the stolen vehicle came to a stop. The 15-year-old then got out of the car, lay down on the ground and turned himself in to the police.
The stolen car tore off the gas meter of the home hit, causing a gas leak that forced the evacuation of several homes in the area. Rescuers sealed the leak and residents were able to return to their homes.
According to police, the teenager was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he suffered “non-life-threatening injuries.” All three teenagers are in custody; Their names have not been published.
According to police, the 24-year-old who was killed lived in the neighborhood but did not live in the house where he was standing when he was hit. His name was not released until family members were notified.
