MARYSVILLE — A father and his 14-year-old son are both facing misdemeanor criminal traffic charges after a crash that injured a grandmother and her 1-year-old granddaughter who were waiting at a bus stop earlier this month.
Police say the teen was driving a Jeep Cherokee Aug. 10 when he crashed into the bus stop on State Avenue just north of Grove Street. Both streets are well-traveled arterials and the crash occurred a couple of blocks from the Marysville Police Department.
The grandmother, 60, and her two granddaughters were transported to a hospital that Saturday afternoon. The woman suffered a leg injury and the baby had bumps and bruises, while the older granddaughter was uninjured.
The trio were sitting on a bench at the bus stop. The woman was holding her 1-year-old granddaughter while the other granddaughter, 13, sat next to them, police reported.
Police consulted with prosecutors before deciding on pursuing charges, Marysville police Cmdr. Mark Thomas said.
“Investigators have met with both the juvenile and father and they are aware of the pending charges,” police said in a Monday press release.
The father, 44, has a Stanwood address.
The police report involving the teen will be referred to Snohomish County juvenile prosecutors. Police are recommending the boy be charged with driving with no valid operators license and without identification, a misdemeanor, and second-degree negligent driving, a citation.
The father will face a charge of allowing an unauthorized minor to drive. His case will be referred to Marysville Municipal Court.
“We recognize that this incident was a traumatic event for the pedestrians that were injured, their family members, the witnesses, and the occupants of the car,” Thomas said. “We are grateful that more serious injuries did not occur.”
Although there have been incidents in which 15-year-old drivers with permits have been involved in accidents or received citations, the crash on State Avenue involving a minor without a permit is rare for Marysville, Thomas said.
The Marysville incident occurred a few days before a similar story of an underage and unpermitted driver causing a serious crash made national headlines. Last week, a 12-year-old girl hit a man and his dog with an SUV in a Houston parking lot, killing them instantly, police said. Her father has been arrested and charged with criminal negligent homicide and endangering a child.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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