BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — It was just after one Tuesday morning when police say a wild car crash disturbed the peace in a Blue Springs subdivision.
“I heard a loud boom, ran outside and just started recording the fiery crash with my cellphone,” said neighbor Joe Wochner.
Investigators say a 15-year-old boy in a white Volkswagen first ran a stop sign near Northwest Kingsridge Drive and Northwest Ashton Drive, and when he refused to stop for an officer, police say the young driver took out a homeowner’s fence and left the scene at a high rate of speed.
“It was real wild for one in the morning out here in this area that kind of stuff just doesn’t happen,” said Wochner.
“The car battery and other front end parts of the car were all over the street. I heard him screaming when his car caught on fire,” added Wochner.
Police say after running the stop sign the young driver kept driving, hitting mailboxes and leaving the roadway at times.
The police chase finally ended when the 15-year-old boy drove across another neighbor’s front yard and slammed head-on into a tree.
“The same police who were pursuing him actually pulled him out of the burning car. Yeah, he’s pretty lucky to be alive,” said Sergeant Joe Fanara with the Blue Springs Police Department.
At the time of FOX 4’s news report, police believed the boy, who they say was drunk, was still in the hospital.
Charges against the teen are pending.
“I just cannot believe he survived. He is fortunate to still be living,” said Wochner.