Teen Crashes Stolen Car Into Gas Pump On Hallandale Beach
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A teen crashed a stolen Mercedes-Benz into a gas pump while being followed by Hallandale Beach police.
According to police, when one of their officers attempted to stop the car, the driver took off. During the pursuit, the driver made a sharp turn at Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Martin Luther King Avenue and crashed into a gas pump at the Shell station. The force of the impact caused the car to roll over.
The driver and the passenger, both teens, took off on foot but were eventually apprehended. Police said the driver was 14-years-old
"The car hit the pump then turned over. I saw the kids running. I guess it's two, but I saw one running out of there," said gas station owner Mirela Ercan.
Neither of the juveniles was hurt in the crash.
"The most important thing is that he didn't get hurt and nobody was around, even the kids didn't get hurt. That's the most important thing. Materials you can slowly replace," said Ercan.
Ercan said it was fortunate there was no explosion. A quick-thinking clerk hit the emergency shut off.
"The whole thing was leaking gas a little bit but with the electrical, it can catch fire at any moment," said Ercan.
The brother of one of the teens said the police were near their home on an unrelated call when his brother hit reverse in the car and hit a curb which drew the officer's attention. When the officer tried to make a traffic stop, the car took off. Investigators said the officer turned off his lights and siren and dropped back as he followed the car.
Police said the driver was arrested and the passenger was charged and released.
