ST. GEORGE — A 13-year-old boy who was asked to drive a truck by his aunt rolled the vehicle after he overcorrected and left the roadway Sunday morning.
Utah Highway Patrol responded to the incident involving a Ford F-150 near mile marker 139 on state Route 40 in Uintah County at approximately 9:45 a.m.
The boy’s 35-year-old aunt asked him to drive the truck from Vernal to Fort Duchesne, a distance of about 24 miles, to drop the pickup off at her house, according to a news release issued by the Utah Department of Public Safety.
As the boy followed behind his aunt in another vehicle, he drifted off the road to the right then overcorrected back to the left, swerving off the left side of the road.
As the truck left the roadway, it rolled twice before landing upright in the brush.
The 13-year-old was wearing a seat belt at the time of the rollover and had no visible injuries when medical personnel arrived to check him. He was transported from the scene to the hospital as a precaution.
“The juvenile was unlicensed and inexperienced,” the news release reads.
The minimum age to apply for a learner’s permit in Utah is 15, and drivers are not eligible to obtain a license until they turn 16.
Whether the underage driver or his aunt would face charges or citation was still pending at the time this report was taken.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.
Oh Boy, where do you begin with this….Hooterville at it’s finest, just dlad the kids ok, but auntie? You got some ‘splainin’ to do….
The child was doing what was asked by an adult relative ( Not a parent tho – Why ? )
The child shouldn’t be charged but the aunt is a whole other level of stupid .
And . . . I’m guessing insurance might Not cover an accident resulting from illegal actions
( putting a Non licensed child in the driver’s seat ) .
When I first saw the photo, I was thinking…Oh’ Gee Senator Kennedy, Are you alright!