Teen crashes, killing passenger, then rips off license plate and runs, FL cops say

A 17-year-old driver crashed at a high speed, killing a 16-year-old passenger, then he ripped off the license plate and ran away, Florida troopers said.

He was found hiding in a chicken coop and was taken into custody, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

McClatchy News is not identifying the driver because it’s unclear if he is being charged as an adult at this time.

The fiery crash on the Sumter County stretch of Interstate 75 happened the afternoon of Aug. 4, involving a driver and four passengers ranging in age from 13 to 17, state troopers said in a news release.

The 17-year-old is accused of driving south on I-75 in a Dodge Charger “recklessly and at a high rate of speed,” FHP said.

He was about to hit another vehicle while passing slower cars, so he took “evasive” action to avoid crashing that caused him to veer off the right shoulder, according to troopers.

He hit a tree, and the car went up in flames, FHP said.

Then he jumped out, removed the license plate and ran away, having sustained minor injuries, highway patrol said.

The four passengers were taken to a hospital, where a 16-year-old boy from Inverness died, according to FHP. A 15-year-old was treated for serious injuries, while the other two passengers sustained minor injuries, troopers said.

Deputies with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol said they tracked down the driver to a rural property not far from I-75, where they found him hiding in a chicken coop.

He’s charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of the crash involving a death.

Sumter County is about a 60-mile drive northwest from Orlando.