Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage that many teenagers look forward to in their lives. They often attend driver’s education courses or have a parent teach them how to drive. Then they take written, and sometimes driving, tests on the roadways before they are legal to drive alone. Despite all this preparation, auto accidents are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States. In 2017, according to the NHTSA, there were 3,255 teen drivers who were involved in fatal crashes. There were also 2,526 teens killed in crashes in 2017, and of those who were killed, 229 teens were killed in crashes that involved distracted driving. Teens are also least likely to wear their seat belts.
The Villages-News reports that a teen has been killed in a high-speed crash involving a pickup truck on U.S. 301.
The crash occurred Wednesday night on U.S. 301 in Marion County.
The accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol indicated that the teen was driving a pickup truck at a “high rate of speed.” The teen failed to negotiate a curve that went to the left. This driving maneuver caused the teen to over correct, resulting in his losing control of the vehicle. The truck then overturned several times, coming to a rest on the west grass shoulder.
Both teens in the vehicle were ejected during the crash. Neither were wearing seat belts.
The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene of the accident. The passenger suffered from minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.