Authorities say a teen behind the wheel of a car allegedly driving recklessly in a Gilbert park early Saturday morning was later involved in a rollover crash that injured four other teenagers.
Around 4:30 a.m. Gilbert Police received reports of criminal damage at a park in the area of Higley Road and Houston Avenue. Multiple teenagers were seen driving in a park on the basketball court and splash pad.
Officers attempted to perform a traffic stop but the red, four-door sedan sped away, an MCSO spokesperson said. Officers chose not to pursue and lost sight of the car.
Shortly after, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department received reports of a rollover accident near SanTan Freeway Loop 202 and Power Road.
Authorities say the car that refused to pull over for Gilbert police less than a half hour before clipped another car while driving northbound on Power Road at a "high rate of speed."
The driver of the sedan allegedly entered the intersection and hit a car that was attempting to make a left turn onto Power Road from the Loop 202 westbound, officials said.
Five people were ejected from the red sedan, officials said. The driver and front seat passenger are 18 years old; there were also three rear passengers ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old.
Three of the teens are hospitalized in serious condition, while the other two suffered minor injuries, officials said. The people in the other car are also being treated for minor injuries.
It appears that speed caused the car to roll over multiple times, MCSO said. It’s unknown if impairment played a factor in the crash. No additional information was immediately available.
