Teens killed after 14-year-old driver loses control in police chase, NC cops say
Two teenagers were killed when a 14-year-old driver lost control during a police chase, North Carolina officials said.
The 15-year-old passengers reportedly were thrown from the SUV as it slammed into a vehicle and “flipped multiple times.” Both teens died at the scene of the crash, which left the 14-year-old driver uninjured, according to the Laurinburg Police Department and the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
The deadly wreck was reported at about 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. Laurinburg police in a news release said it happened after officers had tried to stop an SUV that had avoided a checkpoint “by abruptly exiting the roadway and turning around.”
As the SUV fled police north on U.S. Highway 401 business, troopers said a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction pulled over and out of the way for officers, who had their sirens and lights on. But the SUV made a U-turn and hit the stopped vehicle, causing the 14-year-old driver to lose control before the vehicle landed in a ditch, according to officials.
The two teens killed in the crash were identified as students who attended nearby Scotland High School, WMBF reported. Though Scotland County Schools didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on May 16, the district shared a statement with news outlets.
“It is with great sadness that Scotland County Schools mourns the loss of two students over the weekend,” the district told WPDE. “To help our students and staff process this tragic situation, counselors and mental health providers will be available at Scotland High School.”
No other injuries were reported, Master Trooper Robert Rogers of the N.C. State Highway Patrol told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
The 14-year-old was taken to a juvenile holding center after the crash, which was reported just outside the city limits of Laurinburg and roughly 95 miles southwest of Raleigh.
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