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Teen Falls Asleep at Wheel, Crashes Big Rig Near Homes
Residents of a Lakeview Terrace mobile home community were woken up at around 4 this morning thanks to a teenage driver who fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed a big rig carrying a load of whipped cream. Inside the truck were two other occupants, the 20-year-old man who was licensed to drive the vehicle, and a three-year-old boy who is allegedly the nephew of the two older males.
The teenager was driving a leg of the trip from Merced to Ontario, traveling eastbound on the 210 Freeway, while the 20-year-old man slept. He lost control of the vehicle, which weighs 80,000 pounds fully loaded, according to a live report on KTLA. The big rig went through the guardrail and over an embankment, landing an estimated 12 feet away from a mobile home.
Following the crash, the teen driver and the child disappeared, opting to hide for a couple of hours. Ultimately they were discovered, and now the teenager faces charges, says CHP officer Ming-Yang Hsu, for driving not only without the proper Class A license, but without any driver's license. The two older males could face charges of child endangerment, as well, depending on what led the young boy to be in the truck for the ride.
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