Patch.com reported Wednesday on a deadly traffic accident in the Plant City area involving several teenagers that left one fatality and two other people seriously injured.
The accident took place late Tuesday night, around 11:45 p.m., when a 2004 Ford Expedition driven by a 16-year-old high school student was speeding east on Ralston Road in Plant City, approaching the intersection with County Line Road. The sport-utility vehicle (SUV) hit a speed bump and the driver lost control, hurtling off the road and into a tree.
The front-seat passenger, who was eighteen years of age, was ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver and the rear passenger, a 19-year-old, were both injured but their injuries were reportedly not life-threatening, and they were both transported to South Florida Baptist Hospital. Both the driver and the deceased passenger were students at Armwood High School, while the surviving passenger graduated recently.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff made the following statement: “Our hearts break for the victim, his family and especially his friends who now have to live with this traumatic and devastating loss. The teen driver in this case had a learner’s permit, which under Florida law means they can only get behind the wheel if there’s a person 21 years or older in the front passenger seat. This law exists for a reason and it’s imperative for parents to make sure their teen understands the dangers and rules of the road. We lost a young person who had a whole life ahead of them because of one bad decision that could have been avoided.”
Investigating deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office do not believe that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident.
