15-year-old boy dies when car full of teenagers flips in Columbia County

3 years ago 221

FHP study says different 15-year-old was driving car that deed histrion successful Lake City

News4Jax newsman Ashley Harding has much connected a clang that killed a 15-year-old adjacent Lake City.

LAKE CITY, Fla. – A 15-year-old lad was killed and 4 different teenagers were injured aft a single-vehicle clang Thursday nighttime adjacent Lake City.

The archetypal clang study from Florida Highway Patrol investigators shows 3 15-year-old boys, and 2 17-year-old boys were traveling southbound connected Tustenuggee Avenue adjacent the intersection of Minnie Glenn astir 10:40 p.m. erstwhile the sedan went disconnected the roadworthy and deed a tree.

The interaction caused the car to flip aggregate times earlier landing upright. A 15-year-old lad sitting successful the backseat was ejected. He died earlier making it to the hospital. The different 4 teenagers successful the car were taken to hospitals -- 1 with superior injuries by aerial ambulance. The 3 different injuries were listed arsenic minor.

A antheral who came to the mishap country Friday greeting identified himself arsenic the begetter of the lad who died. He said Nevaeh Highsmith was a pupil astatine Columbia High School and emotion playing basketball.

“Everything helium did, helium enactment his bosom successful it, Jimmy Highsmith said. “I cognize my different kids -- my 1-year-old, my 4-year-old, my 6-year-old -- I’ve got to spell location and explicate to them what happened to their brother. I’m conscionable saying: people, beryllium careful.”

According to the report, 1 of the different 15-year-old boys was driving the car. It’s unclear if helium had a learner’s permit.

Florida instrumentality says adjacent with a learner’s permit, the operator indispensable ever beryllium accompanied by a licensed operator who is astatine slightest 21 years old, and for the archetypal 3 months aft receiving a learner’s permit, the operator is lone allowed to thrust successful daylight hours.

The clang study showed that the lad who died was not wearing his seatbelt. Investigators were not definite if the different teens successful the attraction were wearing theirs. The clang is inactive nether investigation, according to FHP.

“We conscionable each had schoolhouse yesterday. It’s like, we conscionable seen each other, we’re each successful the comments together,” Columbia High inferior Alonzo Brinson said. “It’s conscionable brainsick to spot however you tin beryllium with idiosyncratic 1 day, aftermath up the adjacent time and they’re not determination anymore. It’s conscionable hard to process.”

Columbia County High School said each 5 successful the car were students there. They said grief counselors were disposable for students and unit and asked for prayers for each “as we woody with this tragedy.

Our hearts and prayers spell retired to the household of the 5 CHS students who were successful an mishap past night. One of those students, a subordinate of the Class of 2024, mislaid their beingness successful the accident. We person grief counselors disposable for students and staff. (1/2)

— Tiger Town Columbia (@TigerTownCHS) October 8, 2021