Greenfield teens driving stolen vehicle seriously injured after wrong-way crash in Salinas, police say
GREENFIELD, Calif. (KION-TV)- Greenfield Police said that Tuesday night three teens stole a car within city limits and it eventually resulted in them crashing after driving the wrong way on Highway 101.
Police said that the car was stolen on the 1000 block of Oak Avenue at around 7 p.m. The vehicle was spotted "first on the Peninsula, then in Salinas. Unfortunately, the teens drove the vehicle the wrong way on Highway 101, leading to a head-on collision," said police.
Greenfield Police Chief Guillermo Mixer said that the teens crashed during a chase with CHP at around 10:30 p.m. on Highway 101 near Airport Boulevard. The teen suspects were driving southbound in the northbound lanes.
Chief Mixer said that two of the teens were life-flighted to a Bay Area hospital, one of them has been released and the other one is still in critical condition. The people in the other vehicle have non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.
Police said all parties involved in the crash suffered serious injuries, some were life-threatening when first reporting on the crash.
"It's an unfortunate time in our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the laws that govern crime, especially for juveniles have really been weakened," said Chief Mixer. "And were in prior crimes, say the theft of a vehicle stolen car, they get cited out, and they get sent home. So there's no consequences to the action."
Chief Mixer added the suspects were involved in previous criminal activity, including car theft.
We would like to stress the importance of not leaving your vehicles unattended and running.
To our younger community members, remember: while California laws might seem lenient on delinquent behavior, the rules of physics do not discriminate by age. We urge you to think twice before committing a crime. Consider the potential consequences, and do not give in to peer pressure—we believe in your ability to make the right choices.
Our local schools have been informed about this incident and are prepared to offer emotional support to students as needed.We will continue to work diligently to keep our community safe.
Greenfield Police Department
This is the 6th reported incident of a teen stealing a vehicle in Greenfield in the last year.
Read more: Four juveniles and adult contacted for being inside stolen vehicle in Greenfield
Read more: Teen girl arrested for three vehicles thefts in Greenfield, arrested again for vehicle theft
