COLUMBUS, Ohio — A teen almost died after crashing a stolen Hyundai in Columbus last week, according to police.
Just before 6 a.m. last Thursday, Columbus police said a group of teens stole a car from the Linden Rec Center parking lot. One of the teens crashed the car, and is lucky to be alive.
While the rec center is the heart of the community, it's also been a hot spot for teens stealing cars.
“This is absolutely unacceptable behavior and this is why we put so much emphasis on stolen cars in the last year,” said Columbus Police Commander Duane Mabry.
Police said two cars surrounded a white Hyundai Elantra, stripped the column and then stole the car.
Not long after, police found that car.
“Officers were in the area of Blake and Cleveland and they heard a loud crash. When they got in the area, they found a wrecked-up stolen vehicle with this young 14-year-old in it,” Mabry explained.
Mabry says the 14-year-old girl was seriously hurt in the crash and has been arrested before.
“This is her third time this year alone, and she was on an ankle monitor and under house arrest,” Mabry said.
When officers went back to the rec center to investigate, they were surprised at what they found.
“They found that two of the other vehicles on the parking lot were also stolen vehicles. This is an area that we are watching. We will get our patrol officers in the area,” Mabry explained.
So far this year, police records show across the city there have been nearly two-thousand reports of stolen vehicles. Of those, 664 have been Hyundais and Kias.
Mabry explains this is why police have been warning about how kids stealing cars can turn violent or deadly.
“In this case, had severe consequences potentially for another person who was struck by this vehicle, then for themselves,” he said.
Mabry says the prosecutor's office is expecting to file charges against the girl this week.