ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WSVN) — The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is sharing video that shows three teens getting into a 2016 Maserati with doors unlocked and the keys inside, Sunday morning, before they were involved in a crash that killed one of the teens.
The trio decided to take the car on a joyride through St. Petersburg.
The sheriff’s office helicopter spotted the dangerous drive while in the area for another matter and alerted nearby deputies.
Within seconds two deputies caught up to the teenagers, turned on their lights and started to follow them, but as soon as the Maserati sped up, deputies stopped the pursuit.
The 15-year-old behind the wheel lost control, and 19 seconds later, the Maserati went airborne before it crashed.
Another 15-year-old in the car was killed in the crash.
The sheriff said the parents thought their children were home in their beds asleep.
“These parents were trying to do the right thing,” said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. “They realized they had some issues. These kids were, again, 15, 16. They’re trying to mitigate it by switching schools. They’re making sure that they’re home. The parents thought that the kids were at home and in their rooms asleep because that’s where they left them.”
Deputies later recovered a semi-automatic handgun inside the vehicle, which, according to officials, did not belong to the owner of the luxury car.
The 15-year-old driver is in critical condition, and if he survives, he will face a third-degree felony murder charge while the other surviving passenger will likely be charged with grand theft auto.
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