FREDERICKSBURG – A 15-year-old Fredericksburg teen, who was driving a pickup on Beck’s Mill Road, died Saturday afternoon from injuries sustained when he lost control of the vehicle and it rolled over.
Marty Storms was unconscious when first responders arrived. He was transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Salem where he later died from his injuries.
A 14-year-old passenger in the truck, Brandon Chinn, of Greenville, was also transported by family to Harrison County Hospital after suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
“Our hearts go out to the Storms family,” said Sheriff Brent Miller. “Losing a child is a tragedy and Marty’s death will have a deep impact on his family as well as West Washington High School, where he was a student, and the entire community.”
The crash was reported at 1:29 p.m. Saturday. Sheriff’s Deputy Tory Hildreth and Captain Joseph Keltner of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Washington County Ambulance Service, Blue River Fire Department, and Posey Township Fire Department, responded.
They found a 1997 Ford Ranger pickup truck, occupied by the two male juveniles, at 9834 South Beck’s Mill Road, in Fredericksburg.
Statements from witnesses, as well as Chinn, identified Storms as the driver.
Evidence indicates the truck was traveling south at a high rate of speed. As Storms negotiated a curve, the truck began sliding sideways. He attempted to correct the truck, but it began to overturn and rollover.
“Young people can sometimes think they are invincible, but none of us are,” said Sheriff Miller. “Beck’s Mill Road has many curves and hills and can be challenging for experienced drivers. It’s very dangerous for those who are inexperienced.”
At 15, Storms did not have a driver’s license. In Indiana, 15-year-olds with learner’s permits are allowed to drive only with an adult, licensed driver in the vehicle.
