A firey crash that killed one teen and left two others in critical condition was caught on police helicopter camera.
They were attempting to shake Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies after they stole an unlocked 2016 sports car in St. Petersburg early Sunday, unaware a police helicopter above was tracking them.
Keondrick Lang, 15, put the pedal to the metal around 3:20 a.m. when two police SUVs tried to pull him over, helicopter footage shows. A sergeant ordered deputies to back off.
“And then the driver punches it,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said, according to a live stream of the conference. “When he punches it and takes off, the deputies immediately turn off their overheads, the sergeant gets on the radio and tells them to disengage.”
Deputies slow down to 35 mph, but the Maserati accelerates to a blinding speed that the young driver couldn’t handle. Video shows the Maserati fishtailing, jumping a curb, and crashing into a business sign within a few blocks.
For more on this story, please consider these sources:
- Maserati stolen by 3 teens hit 123 mph before going airborne in fatal crash: video New York Post
- Helicopter video: Teens take off in Maserati before deadly crash on St. Pete roadway FOX 13 Tampa
- Teens steal, crash Maserati that owner left unlocked with keys inside, sheriff says | FOX6 News Milw FOX6 News Milwaukee
- Teens driving stolen Maserati hit 123 mph in deadly crash, Pinellas County sheriff says WTSP.com
- Pinellas County Schools offers counseling after student killed in stolen vehicle crash WFLA