At around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 7, a car collision involving a stolen vehicle was reported in Woodland, a city around 15 miles northwest of Sacramento, California.
According to authorities, the stolen vehicle which caused the crash was driven by a 13-year-old boy. His identity is being withheld due to his age.
Prior to the crash, Woodland police said that they saw a vehicle being driven “erratically” near Main Street in Woodland, causing them to attempt to approach it. Instead of slowing down, the teen driver sped off, which led to a pursuit. Woodland police officer, Victoria Danzl, said that they hoped that the police lights and siren would cause the suspect to slow down. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
The minor then sped into the intersection of Court Street and College Street and hit two other cars, causing two of the three cars involved to catch fire. Together with Woodland Fire and emergency responders, four ambulances were called to the scene. One mother and grandmother, later identified as Tina Vital, was dead in the collision and twelve people were injured, including three minors. Ten of the injured were taken to a nearby hospital, including the young driver.
After receiving medical attention, the suspect was booked into Yolo County Juvenile Hall. Police said that he could be charged with evading law enforcement with injuries and vehicular manslaughter with negligence. The vehicle was a family car and it was apparently not the first time the teen had taken it out for a spin.
The crash is currently being investigated by the California Highway Patrol. Local attorney, Mark Riechel, said that children under 14 cannot be charged as adults and that the boy will likely appear before a judge or commissioner.
Danzl told a local outlet that young kids often do not think of the consequences of their actions. Quita White, a friend of the victim, said that they don’t realize they can take a life and ruin a family in seconds.
