Two hospitalized after SUV driven by teenager crashes

A 17-year-old girl driving on a provisional license slammed her SUV into a bridge abutment and f lipped the vehicle Sunday night after a teen passenger grabbed the steering wheel as she was driving, startling her, police said.

The driver and passenger suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized.

The solo vehicle crash happened around 11:10 p.m. on Nimitz Boulevard near Voltaire Street in the Point Loma Heights area, San Diego police Officer John Buttle said.

The front-seat passenger, an 18year-old man, grabbed the wheel of the 1999 Ford Explorer and moved it back and forth as the SUV was heading north in the left lane. The move startled the driver and she turned the steering wheel hard to the right, causing the SUV to cross into the right lane and collide with a bridge abutment under Voltaire Street.

After hitting the abutment, the vehicle flipped, ejecting the frontseat passenger before the SUV came to rest on its roof.

The driver — who had three passengers in the SUV — was driving on a provisional license, said police Officer Scott Lockwood. A provisional license for minors restricts their driving for 12 months, specifying that they not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. or transport passengers under the age of 20 unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or a licensed driver who is 25 years old or older.

The driver and her front-seat passenger were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Buttle said. Two other passengers ran off before police and paramedics arrived, he said. karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com