TEMPE, AZ — The teen girl who died in a motorcycle crash on the Loop 202 last week had been reported missing from a foster group home just days beforehand.
Surprise police say Sarabeth Sokolksy, 17, was reported as a missing/runaway juvenile on December 8. She left from a group home for foster youth licensed by the Department of Child Services.
Just three days later, DPS troopers responded to a fatal motorcycle crash on the Loop 202 freeway, near the Priest exit in Tempe. A relative confirms the motorcycle driver was Sarabeth.
It's unclear where the teen was prior to the crash and how she gained access to the motorcycle.
DCS told ABC15 that the safety and well-being of children in its care are its highest priority, and any loss of a child’s life is profoundly painful. The agency said it reported Sarabeth's disappearance to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement as required by state law, and it is cooperating with the police investigation.
The group home, Sunshine Residential, told ABC15 it followed protocols to notify authorities about the missing foster child.
