2 Teen-Agers Hurt as Joy Ride Ends in Crash

A wild joy ride by three teen-age girls who apparently stole a 1992 Honda Civic ended Thursday night when the car slammed into a utility pole in a quiet residential neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said.

Two of the teen-agers, who were not identified, were pinned in the front seat of the vehicle and had to be pried out by firefighters at the scene of the crash in the 17200 block of Louise Street, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

They were taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where one was treated for a bump on the head. The other had a possible broken leg, Los Angeles Police Officer Gail Muzzey said.

The ages of the girls were not immediately known, but Muzzey said one of the teen-agers told her that she was 16 years old.

According to witnesses, a third passenger riding in the back seat of the vehicle limped away immediately after the accident, Muzzey said, and was still at large.

Witnesses also told police that before the crash, the car was fishtailing, swinging from side to side as it sped down the street, Muzzey said.

The vehicle was taken from a parking lot in Los Angeles between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Thursday, Muzzey said. The accident took place shortly after 7 p.m., she said.

Police said the teen-agers may be affiliated with a gang. A slide hammer, an instrument often used to remove a car’s ignition, was found inside a backpack on the floor in the rear of the vehicle, police said.