12-Year-Old Grand Junction Boy Dies in Accident After Stealing Vehicle
Sunday morning, I was out getting some exercise and noticed quite a few Mesa County Sheriff's Office cars near 30rd and I-70B. It was one of those instances that you just knew something was horribly wrong with that many officers on the scene that early in the morning.
We are getting more details today about what really happened from KKCO 11 News, it's a tragic story of a mistake leading to the death of a kid. A home burglary was reported at 5:55 a.m. Sunday morning as a homeowner told deputies that their keys were taken during the burglary. The 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee was spotted a while later by deputies at an Alta gas station.
As deputies approached the vehicle the 12-year-old driver took off at a very high rate of speed. Before deputies could get back to their vehicle to begin the chase the boy had rolled the Jeep and was ejected.
The boy was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and unfortunately passed away due to those injuries.
While it's clear the boy was in the wrong by burglarizing a home and stealing a vehicle, it's always horribly sad to see 12-year-old lose their life. This is devastating for all involved and we are thinking of the families affected by this.