ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One person is dead, and two are in critical condition after three teenagers crashed a car in St. Pete on Sunday.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), deputies responded to a call around 3:20 a.m. about a vehicle burglary in progress at 2998 58th Avenue North, where one suspect was taken into custody.
PCSO stated that their flight unit located three unrelated suspects in the same area attempting to break into other vehicles before they were successful with a 2016 Maserati that was parked in a driveway near 62nd Avenue North and 28th Street North.
Deputies stated that the driver, 15, used his shirt to open the door of the Maserati, which was unlocked and had the keys inside. The other two suspects, 15 and 16, followed into the car.
"Parents went to bed, kids were in their rooms where they should have been. They snuck out in the middle of the night, and it's a very tragic situation," Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.
The three teenagers then allegedly headed east on 62nd Street North with no headlights on, and when deputies attempted to stop the car, the driver accelerated to 123 mph. Deputies did not pursue the car.
"We know from the data recorder in the Maserati that five seconds before the crash. He was doing 123 miles an hour, lost it, went airborne, hit the sign," said Sheriff Gualtieri.
PCSO said the driver then lost control when he drove over a curb and hit a business sign before the car flipped. The 15-year-old passenger died at the scene, while the 16-year-old passenger and 15-year-old driver were transported to the hospital in critical condition.
"He's going very fast, no driver's license, 15-year-old driver, very inexperienced, the car starts to fishtail, and he loses it. There is no control over the car," Gualtieri said.
A black ski mask, firearm and glove were also found at the scene and in the possession of the suspects.
"It's a bad situation when you've got two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old that are out with masks, with gloves, with a gun that are up to no good in the middle of the night. All of those are ingredients for bad stuff," Sheriff Gualtieri said.
Since the suspects of the crash are juveniles, ABC Action News will not be naming them.
