CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — A 16-year-old Lecanto boy was killed after he and his little brother were ejected from a Jeep in Crystal River, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The single-car crash happened just before 4:30 p.m. Saturday along West Fort Island Trail just west of North Seabreeze Point in Crystal River, troopers said in a news release.
The FHP says the 16-year-old lost control of the Jeep Cherokee while trying to negotiate a curve in the roadway, causing the SUV to leave the roadway and overturn multiple times. As the Jeep overturned, the teen and his 7-year-old brother were ejected from the SUV.
The 16-year-old died at the scene. The little boy was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
Two other teens, an 18-year-old boy from Hernando and a 15-year-old girl from Crystal River were also in the Jeep at the time of the crash, troopers said. The 18-year-old suffered minor injuries while the 15-year-old's injuries were labeled "serious."
The crash report notes none of the occupants in the Jeep were wearing seatbelts.