A 15-year-old driver was lucky to escape with minor injuries after he lost control of his pickup in Lacombe, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake early Tuesday.
The teen was eastbound on Woodland Drive when the truck veered off the road and slammed into a retaining wall about 12:45 a.m. The truck then took out a light standard and hit a parked van. The force of the collision threw the van forward into a garage, damaging both.
The mayhem wasn’t over yet.
The pickup kept going, hitting a fire hydrant and sheering it off at ground level before the vehicle finally came to a stop over top a tree.
Lacombe Police Service Chief Gary Leslie said at least $50,000 in damage was caused. “And that’s a low ball (estimate).”
The damage to the fire hydrant alone was about $10,000 and the 1997 Dodge truck was totalled, he said.
The teen, who had a learner’s permit but should not have been driving alone, was taken to hospital by ambulance with minor injuries.
It appears speed was a factor in the accident. The investigation continues and charges are expected.