One teenager is dead and another injured after they fell off of the hood of a moving car on Saturday night in Morongo Valley, reports Z107.7.
Authorities were called about 9 pm to Juniper Avenue and Buena Vista Drive. They found one of the teen boys unconscious. He was taken by ambulance to Desert Hospital.
Two teens were riding on the hood of a 2006 Land Rover LR3 on Juniper Avenue. When the vehicle went over a rise, the two were thrown from the hood.
Chase Bottroff, 17, was pronounced dead just after midnight Sunday at the hospital. A 16-year-old also thrown from the car had moderate injuries. The driver, a 17-year-old, was not injured.
Investigators have not yet determined how fast the vehicle was traveling, but CHP Officer Simon Miller told the Desert Sun, “any speed is unsafe when you have people on the hood of your car or otherwise not properly secured.”
Yucca Valley High School observed a moment of silence for Bottroff on Monday morning, according to the Hi Desert Star. A small memorial has also been set up outside of the school gymnasium.
A Memorial Fund has been set up for Chase Bottroff on GoFundMe.
