Teen Fractures Spine in Truck Wreck
A 16-year-old Ventura boy suffered a fractured spine when he lost control of his truck on Highway 33 on Friday and was ejected through a passenger door that swung open, authorities said.
Theodore Michael Shelton was listed in serious condition Friday night at Ventura County Medical Center, where he was taken by ambulance after the 7:30 a.m. crash south of Stanley Avenue in Ventura, authorities said.
The youth was driving north in the fast lane at about 55 mph when he lost control of his 1962 GMC pickup and it slammed three times into the center guardrail, California Highway Patrol Officer Dave Cockrill said.
After the third bounce off the rail, the boy was ejected, Cockrill said. The vehicle is not equipped with seat belts and is not required to have them under state law, the officer added.
The youth landed in the center divider and his truck came to rest on the shoulder. The crash occurred in the middle of a sweeping right curve on the highway.
Officers are investigating the possibility that mechanical failure contributed to the crash, but Cockrill said it appears inattention was to blame. The truck’s tires were also low on tread and air, Cockrill said.
“It looks like driver error was the primary cause,” Cockrill said.
One or both lanes of the highway were closed for about 30 minutes, causing a half-mile traffic backup, officers said.
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