16-05-2025
‘Lucky to be alive;' Teen crashes truck after leaving underage drinking party
Deputies say a 16-year-old driver is lucky to be alive after a rollover crash due to drinking and driving last weekend in Kansas.
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Rice County Sheriff Nick Sowers said a 16-year-old boy left an underage drinking party Saturday and got behind the wheel of a pickup truck.
The teenager was involved in a rollover crash on a dirt road and suffered serious injuries, CBS affiliate in Wichita, KWCH, reports.
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The sheriff's office shared photos of the crash on social media. It shows a pickup truck with a smashed hood and cab.
'Looking at the vehicle, it's clear—this young man is incredibly lucky to be alive,' they said. 'This mother doesn't have to remember this day as the day she lost her child year after year.'
The sheriff's office stated it will pursue charges related to the crash.
'We will also be holding the adults responsible for hosting and allowing underage drinking to occur on their property,' the sheriff's office said.
They also asked young people to think twice before drinking and driving.
'Once you choose to drive under the influence, that mistake becomes dangerous for everyone on the road,' the sheriff's office said.
Deputies urged teens who had been drinking to call them or their parents to pick them up.
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