Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook announces that a 15-year-old boy is suffering serious injuries after
crashing a stolen pickup truck in North Columbia this morning.
The juvenile is accused of stealing a Dodge Ram which was parked at a Luvalie Street home around 6:30a.m. The owner left the vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition and the engine running.
After the crime, the teen traveled to the intersection of Mauldin Avenue and Colleton Street where speed caused him to crash into a chain link fence and a tree before hitting a parked SUV and a telephone pole. The truck came to rest in the front yard of a residence. No one else was injured.
It appears that when the suspect crashed into the fence, he received serious facial injuries. It is not believed that the teen was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
An officer and the Columbia Fire Department quickly arrived on the scene to help rescue the suspect. EMS took him to a local hospital.
As the investigation continues, the suspect will be charged with grand larceny of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, and driving without a driver’s license.