JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville teenager is behind bars and charged with vehicular homicide in the death of one of his friends last year, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Police said Randell Parker, 16, was leaving the scene of an accident on Lenox Avenue and Lane Avenue in August when he hit a utility pole on Old Middleburg Road near Memorial Park Road.
One of his passengers was Tyriq Grant, 15 (pictured, below), who was killed in the crash. Grant's family told police at the time of the accident he was skipping school.
Parker is also charged with reckless driving and two counts of driving without a license causing death or serious injury.
News4Jax Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith said vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony and can carry serious prison time.
"Vehicular homicide is one of the most serious charges you can receive in terms of operating an automobile. It's the killing of a human being by the operation of a motor vehicle in a reckless manner," he said.
Smith explained what this could mean for Parker.
"So young, to possibly go to jail for such a long time, it is a second-degree felony, and he could receive up to 15 years in prison," said Smith.
Smith said in hit-and-run cases, drivers often leave because they panic.
"They were probably nervous about that, scared, didn't want to get caught, being out of school and not having a driver's license," Smith said.
About a week after the crash, Grant's family and friends gathered at the accident site for a candlelight vigil in his memory. They said he was a typical teen, quiet at home and a class clown at school. His loved ones still struggle, and Smith said this story needs to serve as a lesson to prevent other tragedies in the future.
"Looking at the result of things, the best thing they could have done was to stop and stay there and just deal with the consequences," said Smith.
Parker is due back in court later this month.