On a Sunday morning in late November, a 17-year-old boy was killed at 3:30 am. He and his companion, also juvenile, were traveling south of Lapoint very early in the morning, when the car slid off a dirt road.
According to KSL News, Uintah County Sheriff’ Cpl. Brian Fletcher said that the car rolled once, ejecting the 17-year-old. Somewhere in being thrown from the car at the scene of the accident, the teen died. The other rider in the car suffered bruises and minor cuts.
This case is still under investigation. Police are still trying to determine who was driving during the crash and what the cause of the crash was.
This is a terrible tragedy. To the family and friends of this deceased young man, our deepest condolences go out to you.
Teen motor vehicle crashes present some scary statistics. According to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association,
- Nationally, 33% of deaths among 13-19-years-olds occurred in motor vehicle crashes
- The crash rate per mile driven is 2 times as high for 16-year-olds than 18-19-year-olds
- 55% of car crash deaths among teenagers occurred on Friday, Saturday or Sunday
According to the new program “Don’t Drive Stupid,” created by the Utah Department of Transportation, “A teen-driver crash occurs in Utah every 35 minutes.” These are always difficult circumstances to be a part of.