Wanted: Teen driver who ran red light, crashed stolen car

CLEARWATER (FOX 13) - Clearwater police are searching for a teenage driver who they say crashed a stolen car while out on a joyride late Monday night.

The police department says the accident happened around 11 p.m. at Coachman and Belcher Roads, where the driver of the stolen vehicle ran a red light and collided with a passing van.

The passengers of the van were uninjured, but crash investigators say the stolen car, a Toyota Prius, flipped over and slid before it came to a stop in front of a nearby business.

The teen driver’s passenger, a 17-year-old girl and recent reported runaway, was taken to the hospital with what officials originally believed to be life-threatening injuries. She is now said to be stable and in serious condition.

Police believe the driver, described as a black male with a heavy build, stole the Prius from a food delivery driver an hour-and-a-half before the crash in the 300 block of Betty Lane. The driver reportedly left the keys in the ignition.

Detectives say this is the second time a food delivery worker's vehicle has been stolen in recent weeks.

The other case involved a pizza delivery worker's vehicle, which was later recovered.

Detectives ask anyone with information to contact the Clearwater Police Department.