Sheriff: 14-Year-Old Driving In Crash That Killed 12-Year-Old
MILTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A sheriff in southwestern Michigan says a 14-year-old boy was speeding along a snow-slicked road in the middle of the night when he lost control of the car and struck a tree, killing his 12-year-old passenger.
Cass County Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. says the crash happened about 2 a.m. Tuesday in Milton Township, near Niles and just north of the Indiana state line. The boy killed in the crash has been identified as Adrian M. Chiquito of Niles.
Underwood said emergency crews took the 14-year-old driver to Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Ind., for treatment. However, the hospital wouldn't give any information on his condition or whether he's still being treated.
Underwood said both boys were wearing seat belts.
Kevin Waldrop, Adrian's father, told WOOD-TV the boys had sneaked out in the middle of the night for a joy ride.
"They weren't drinking, or they didn't use drugs," he said. "They didn't do anything bad. They were just regular teenagers who made a stupid decision."
Waldrop described the boys as best friends who lived together in a home shared by their families. He said the boys were up playing video games when he decided to go to bed.
"All of a sudden, we heard banging on the doors," he said. It was the police, asking if they knew why their car wasn't in the garage. That's when Waldrop's wife ran to the children's bedroom and made a startling discovery.
"The kids were gone, and the blankets were stuffed with pillows, and she just knew," he said. "They took the car while we were sleeping."
Police said the boys were about a mile away from their home when the crash happened.
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