Unlicensed driver, 15, and baby taken to Modesto hospital as precaution after crash

A 15-year-old unlicensed driver and a baby in her vehicle were taken to a hospital as a precaution after a crash Thursday morning at East Orangeburg and Sunrise avenues.

The crash occurred about 8:45 a.m. The driver of a Subaru Outback was eastbound on Orangeburg, entering the Sunrise intersection. The teen, behind the wheel of a Jeep Compass, was making a left turn onto southbound Sunrise and pulled into the Outback’s path.

The collision then sent the Outback into metal poles that support the overhang in front of Sunrise Market. Officer Casey Graham said the Compass driver appears at fault for making the unsafe turn.

Officer Troy Cross said the initial report was that a driver was pinned in and there were juveniles on the ground at the crash scene, so police were fearful of what they’d find. Sunrise Market is a popular place for youth to congregate before and after school, he said.

The Outback driver was stuck because her door wouldn’t open. Firefighters got her out from the passenger side. In pain, she was assessed and determined to be uninjured.

The teen also apparently was uninjured, as was the baby (police did not immediately know if the teen was the mother), which remained in its child safety seat. It’s common practice, though, when juveniles are in a crash, that they be evaluated at a hospital.

Because of her age, police will not release the name of the teen driver. The other driver’s identity was not immediately available.

This story was originally published January 17, 2019 at 12:23 PM.