Teen driving SUV allegedly mows down boy after water bottle is thrown
A 17-year-old driver in Sacramento intentionally veered her SUV into a neighbor’s yard Sunday as she mowed down a boy who may have thrown a water bottle at the vehicle moments before, witnesses said.
The boy, described as a seventh grade student, ended up pinned between the SUV and a tree in the yard of Marlene Youell, who witnessed the incident.
“He was screaming before she mowed him down,” she told Fox40. “He was yelling, ‘Stop, stop stop.’ I went to the phone to call 911.”
Witnesses told the news station that a water bottle had been thrown at the SUV. That’s when the 17-year-old driver -- who authorities have not identified -- chased the boy around a corner, slamming the front end of the vehicle into the tree, pinning the child.
Video footage of the scene showed a light-blue bike resting a few feet behind the SUV.
Witnesses also said that after the collision, the driver admitted to chasing the boy on purpose after he or his brother threw a water bottle at the SUV.
“She must have snapped,” Youell said.
The boy suffered injuries from the collision, but they didn’t appear to be life threatening. First responders at the scene had to lift the SUV in order to remove the boy safely.
As for the driver, California Highway Patrol officers detained her at the scene while they determine if the collision was, indeed, intentional and what charges, if any, she could face.
Twitter: @AliciaDotBanks
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