The authorities have issued a cautionary statement after a 13-year-old was involved in a car accident with an 11-year-old child as a passenger.
A teenage driver, reportedly under the influence, allegedly stole a vehicle and later crashed it in Arizona, as detailed by the Department of Public Safety and Highway Patrol.
It is claimed that the youngsters took the car from the Flagstaff Police Department around 1am on Tuesday, September 30, and proceeded to drive it against traffic on Interstate 40.
The vehicle reportedly hit a guardrail before crashing into a nearby tree.
“The impact was so severe that the steering wheel broke off while the vehicle was rolling, and was ejected approximately 50 feet from where the vehicle landed,” the department explained.
Both minors sustained injuries that were not life-threatening and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The authorities noted that the driver exhibited ‘six out of six signs of intoxication.’
After the incident, tests revealed the teenager’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.183%, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08%.
A DPS representative informed ABC News that the 13-year-old is likely to face charges for driving under the influence (DUI).
Images from the scene depict the vehicle with a severely damaged roof, its front end crushed against a tree, and the steering wheel discarded on the ground.
“Around 1 AM on September 30, 2025, Highway Patrol State Troopers received a call for a wrong-way driver on I-40 eastbound,” stated the Highway Patrol.
“A Deputy observed the vehicle drive the wrong way across the median and then self-correct before continuing eastbound at over 100 MPH.
“The vehicle was reported as stolen and had fled from the Flagstaff Police Department before the Deputy saw it.
“The vehicle drove onto the guardrail and ‘rode’ across the guardrail before rolling several times and landing in a tree.
“The impact was so severe that the steering wheel broke off while the vehicle was rolling, and was ejected approximately 50 feet from where the vehicle landed.
“The driver of the vehicle was a 13-year-old kid with an 11-year-old in the passenger seat. Both juveniles sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Troopers observed 6 out of 6 signs of intoxication in the driver before medics transported them for care. A blood alcohol analysis at the hospital showed the driver had a 0.183 BAC.”
The statement additionally emphasized, “We’re thankful the kids are okay, but this could’ve ended way worse. Juvenile joyriding and underage drinking are extremely dangerous. Talk to your kids about the dangers of drinking and unlicensed driving.”