Teens OK despite fiery crash

An 18-year-old driver and his 15-year-old passenger are lucky to be alive, police said while investigating a high-speed crash at Citizens Park on Monday afternoon.

The pickup truck never crashed into another vehicle but hit nearly everything in its path as the driver lost control of the truck in a curve inside the recreation area's roadways.

When the driver lost control, the truck struck fencing and then crashed into a tree that split the truck into two. The cab, however, continued to travel into a second tree and then caught fire, said Sgt. Aaron Dowdy, a spokesperson for Aiken Public Safety.

The driver, 18-year-old Kyle Blane of Aiken, was restrained but able to free himself from the burning vehicle.

Investigators have not said whether his 15-year-old passenger was restrained, but he was also able to escape the fire, Dowdy said.

Neither passenger had life-threatening injuries, but, due to the severity of the crash, they were both taken to the Medical College of Georgia for examination.

Blane will be charged with reckless driving, an offense that caries with it a bond in excess of $400 and six points against a motorist's driving record.

Witnesses, first responders and police officers said the two could have been severely hurt or died as a result of the crash, Dowdy reiterated.

Police first received an emergency phone call to the Southside ball fields when the vehicle was spotted on fire. The officers quickly learned there had been a vehicle crash.

It took the driver about 275 feet to try to stop the out-of-control vehicle before it crashed into the first obstacle, witnesses said.

The crash occurred around 12:15 p.m. in the roadway that cuts through the recreation area on the City's Southside. During that time this summer, there have been a number of summer sports programs under way.

"Luckily no one was really out there (Monday)," Dowdy said.

Public Safety's accident reconstruction team will investigate to better determine an exact speed.

Alcohol is not suspected to have been a factor at this time.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.