NEW ORLEANS — A 16-year-old died Monday night following a hit and run in the Desire Area. NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said the teen was driving a stolen vehicle and also hit two houses in the crash.
"Loud boom, boom! Three times," said a woman who didn't want to be identified.
She was inside her home near Oliver White Street and Benefit Street when just before 10:30 Monday night she was startled by a loud noise.
"I thought it was a gunshot but it was a car coming from around the corner, it got out of control," she said. "I'm telling you I have high blood pressure, my pressure went up."
According to the NOPD, it was a hit and run that left a 16-year-old dead and two homes with damage. The 16-year-old was driving a stolen newer model Ford F-150 and collided with a driver in a stolen newer Hyundai, the NOPD said.
The 16-year-old veered off the road and was ejected from the truck. The truck hit two houses taking off the railing, running over bushes and damaging a column. The other driver ran off.
"It did involve two stolen vehicles, now their connection to each other, we do not know. Are they connected to our auto burglaries or any other crimes we saw over the weekend? That is still to be determined, we really do not know," Supt. Ferguson said.
He said they have seen an increase in auto burglaries over the last few weeks.
"What we have seen is that in many of our series or rash of car burglaries has been the same group and when we identify or arrest that group, we see it subside so we are hoping that’s the case in regard to the rash we've seen recently,” Ferguson said.
The investigation is ongoing and the Orleans Parish Coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Anyone with information is urged to contact NOPD at (504) 821-2222 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867.