x
Breaking News
More () »

Teens steal man's truck, another car then gets in fatal crash

Dontavious Joseph, 17, died on the scene after being ejected. He was less than five miles from home.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- A Jacksonville man is warning others about his experience with tracking down stolen vehicles.

“I followed teens that stole my truck because I saw them as they were driving away,” he said. “They ended up crashing at the end of my road and I was told by police that I would be liable if any of them were injured.”

The man said the teens took off running after the crash. He didn’t file a police report for insurance because he said he only had liability insurance on the vehicle, not personal injury protection.

“I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to follow them, it wasn’t a high-speed chase, I was just trying to recover my property,” he said.

Days later, he said investigators told him they had found his personal belongings inside another stolen vehicle that crashed on Cassatt Avenue.

Three teens were injured, and one killed after crashing during a police pursuit.

Dontavious Joseph, 17, died on the scene after being ejected. He was less than five miles from home.

“It’s sad because no stolen property is worth your life, this didn’t have to happen, and they didn’t have to continue on with this spree after they came close to getting hurt after crashing my truck," he said.

The damaged truck will be sold off in parts to raise money for another vehicle.

Before You Leave, Check This Out