Death of 16-year-old who crashed alleged stolen car ‘a tragedy’

A 16-year-old boy has died after crashing an allegedly stolen car in South Australia, despite his younger passenger’s desperate plight to find help.

A teenage boy has died after crashing an allegedly stolen car in SA’s Yorke Peninsula. Picture Emma Brasier

The death of a 16-year-old boy, who was found dead after crashing a stolen car in South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, has been labelled “a tragedy” by the state’s top cop.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens addressed the media on Friday and said young people needed to be mindful of their decisions.

“This is a tragic set of circumstances,” he said.

“Young people make bad decisions. People need to be mindful of the fact those bad decisions can have tragic consequences.

“This is another one of those tragedies. The families will have to cope with the loss of someone they care deeply about.”

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the death was “a tragedy”. Picture: Tom Huntley

The teenager was allegedly driving a red Holden sedan along Drain Road near the corner of Ellis Road in Kadina when it left the road and rolled into a paddock.

Following the crash, the passenger, aged 15, walked for more than kilometre to seek help.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident about 1.30am on Friday after the male passenger knocked on a door for assistance, then directed crews to the scene.

A 16yo boy has been killed in a crash at Kadina overnight, his 15yo passenger walked more than a kilometre along a dirt road to find help. The car they were in had been stolen earlier that night. @9NewsAdel pic.twitter.com/IqAx6mn6f9

— Georgia Westgarth (@G_Westgarth) November 12, 2020

The teen driver died at the scene and his passenger was taken to the Wallaroo Hospital for treatment.

Major Crash investigators arrived about 5.15am and checks revealed the Holden had been stolen from a Kadina address earlier that night.

The teen’s death takes the state’s road toll to 77 this year, compared to 96 at the same time last year.