In a series of events that could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood script, five juveniles, ages 12 to 14, found themselves taking police through a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle in Vigo County. WISH-TV reported the pursuit began early Saturday morning, around 5 a.m., after a vehicle was reported stolen. The car's unauthorized use stemmed from a 14-year-old's alleged decision to meet a friend in Sullivan, following an overnight theft that left a mother in distress and authorities in an urgent search.
Terre Haute police officers initially spotted the stolen car near State Road 46 and State Road 42 but were led on a faltering chase that ended when they lost sight of the vehicle. It wouldn't be long until deputies from Sullivan County reignited the pursuit, which twice crossed county lines and drew additional law enforcement from Vigo County into the fray, as detailed in WTHR's coverage.
The chase met its harrowing conclusion when the vehicle, helmed by the 14-year-old suspected thief, attempted a turn at a 'high rate of speed,' resulting in the car careening through a guardrail and colliding with a tree, as stated in a release by the Vigo County Sheriff's Office. Authorities found five young souls inside the wrecked metal, three labeled as runaways, bearing the brunt of their daring actions with "complaints of pain," yet, mercifully, no critical injuries were present.
The aftermath of the crash brought a grim reckoning. A 14-year-old male driver faced charges including vehicle theft and was identified as a runaway, according to MyWabashValley.com. He was not alone in legal repercussions; a peer, another 14-year-old male, was also implicated for vehicle theft and resisting law enforcement with a vehicle. A 13-year-old female, charged with runaway, was released to a guardian, while the remaining two children, a 13-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, were turned over to their guardians posthaste.
