14-year-old takes a joy ride in parent's SUV, knocks down tree

A 14-year-old Huntley boy and three friends took an early-morning joy ride with his parents' Lincoln Navigator on Memorial Day, running down a small tree in Lake in the Hills then fleeing from the scene, police said.

Huntley police found the group about 1:46 a.m. Monday at the driver's home, five blocks away from the crash scene in the 300 block of Annandale Drive.

"He just basically drove out of the subdivision and into his neighborhood," said Lake in the Hills Deputy Chief David Brey.

Police identified the 2004 luxury SUV by matching a portion of the fiberglass fender left at the scene of the 1:26 a.m. crash with similar damage on the Lincoln.

Huntley police detained the teenager and his friends until Lake in the Hills officers arrived to take them into custody, said Huntley Deputy Chief Todd Fulton.

The driver was cited for violating curfew, driving without a license, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane usage.

The others - a 15-year-old girl and two 15-year-old boys - also were cited for violating curfew.

All four were released to their parents.

Authorities, meanwhile, don't know where the group was headed during their late-night jaunt into Lake in the Hills.

"They were violating curfew - you know what it is to be young, right?" Brey quipped.