Three juveniles traveling in a stolen vehicle during a police pursuit were hospitalized Wednesday morning after the driver lost control of the car and crashed into a tree in Hemet.
Three teens were injured following a stolen vehicle pursuit in Hemet on May 10, 2017. (Credit: KTLA)
A blue Hyundai reported stolen just before midnight was spotted a short time later by officers in the 400 block of East Oakland Avenue, Hemet Police Department Lt. Eric Dickson said.
The driver fled from police and a pursuit was initiated, Dickson said.
A little over a mile away, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed in the 200 block of Columbia Street.
Video showed the badly damaged vehicle had struck a tree and came to a rest on the front lawn of one of the homes in the neighborhood.
All three occupants were injured in the crash and were hospitalized, Dickson said.
Two of the injured were listed in critical condition and the third person was in stable condition, Dickson said.
A Police Department news release later indicated two of the teens were in stable condition and only one was critical.
Dickson could not confirm the exact ages of the occupants, but believed they were 13, 15 and 16 years old.
“The driver I believe was the 15-year-old,” Dickson said.
The names of the juveniles were not released.
The same blue Hyundai had recently been stolen and recovered, but a set of keys was still outstanding from the initial theft, Dickson said.
The teens could be tied to the earlier theft if they are found to have been using the missing set of keys, Dicskson said.