Police: Unlicensed teen behind wheel in crash

HOLLYWOOD – A Hollywood teen died Saturday when he was ejected from the back of a pickup truck driven illegally by a 15-year-old after a multivehicle collision on Interstate 95, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Five juveniles in total had piled into the Ford pickup truck that night — one behind the wheel, three seat-belted in the cab and one riding unsecured in the truck’s bed. All were 15-year-old boys.

The unlicensed teen driver made a sudden lane change on I-95North, near the Hollywood Boulevard exit, and sideswiped a red Volvo driven by 25-year-old Pembroke Pines woman. She was uninjured.

The impact caused the truck to spin clockwise onto the shoulder, where it collided with a gray Land Rover SUV that had broken down on the side of the road. The two occupants of the SUV — a 38-year-old Pompano Beach man and a 43-year-old Lauderhill man — were also unhurt, investigators said.

After the pickup hit the SUV, it continued to spin.

The Hollywood teen, who was sitting in the truck bed, was ejected when the pickup hit a guardrail. He was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood where he was pronounced dead, said FHP Lt. Yanko Reyes.

The juvenile victim’s identity was not disclosed by police.

The driver of the pickup, a teen from Miami Gardens, was uninjured. The truck was registered to his father, according to FHP.

“It’s still unclear as to how the 15-year-old got possession of the vehicle, but the vehicle was not reported stolen at the time of the incident,” Reyes said.

The other three boys riding in the Fordwere also unhurt. Two were from

Hollywood and one was from West Park, police said.

The teen driver had a valid learner’s permit, but Florida state law requires that a licensed driver, age 21 or older, must be present.

Charges are pending, according to Reyes.

Investigators will determine what charges will be filed and against whom, he said.

Children ages 7 to 17 are not allowed to ride in the bed of a truck on any interstate, highway, limited access road or major roadway, according to state law.