CORNVILLE, AZ – A woman was hospitalized and her dog was injured after they were both hit by a vehicle driven by a 14-year-old girl in northern Arizona last Friday.
Yavapai County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Dwight D'Evelyn said the teen was arrested at her Cornville home on Tuesday and now faces several charges.
According to officials, the girl is charged with aggravated assault, endangerment, criminal damage, reckless driving and aggressive driving.
Deputies have determined that excessive speed was likely a factor in the accident that sent a 62-year-old woman to the hospital.
D'Evelyn said several neighbors in the area told deputies they have seen the 14-year-old driving alone on numerous occasions and speeding on neighborhood streets.
Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the accident on Swinging Bridge Lane near Coyote Lane in Cornville around 5 p.m. on Friday, November 6.
Deputies arrived on scene and reportedly found EMS personnel from the Verde Valley Fire District treating the 62-year-old female victim.
Deputies learned that she had been struck by a vehicle while walking her dog and was being prepared for transportation to the Verde Valley Medical Center, according to YCSO.
The vehicle that allegedly struck the victim was a 2001 silver Toyota sedan driven by the 14-year-old female, who resides on Farm Circle in Cornville.
The juvenile apparently admitted taking the vehicle from her home without her mother’s knowledge and losing control of the car while driving on Swinging Bridge Lane.
YCSO officials said the car left the roadway and struck the patient who was walking her dog.
The patient's dog was also reportedly hit by the vehicle and ran from the scene. It was later located by family members and taken to a local vet due to apparent minor injuries.
The patient was treated at VVMC for broken leg bones and multiple fractures, according to YCSO.
YCSO officials said the woman is expected to be transported to a rehabilitation center in the Prescott Valley area in the next few days.
Although no obvious signs of DUI were observed during the on scene investigation, deputies also reportedly obtained a urine sample from the minor for testing.
