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ENCINO (CNS) - One person was killed Tuesday and two were injured when a stolen car being driven by a 14-year-old girl crashed into a signal light pole in Encino and burst into flames, authorities said.
The crash was reported at about 12:15 a.m. at Ventura and Balboa boulevards, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
A short time earlier, officers in a patrol car had seen the car on southbound Balboa being driven with its headlights off, according to the LAPD.
The officers tried to pull the car over, but it kept going, according to police, who said the officers did not pursue the vehicle. The driver then tried to turn left onto Ventura Boulevard, where the vehicle crashed and burst into flames, police said.
The driver -- a 14-year-old girl -- and her front-seat passenger were rescued from the burning vehicle by officers, and both were taken for hospital treatment in unknown condition, police said.
The rear-seat passenger died at the scene, according to police. Information was not immediately available on the identity of that person, but Fox11 said the victim was also believed to have been a 14-year-old girl.
"The young kids do unwise things. We all know that. It is absolutely not worth playing with your life with that. This is an absolute tragedy. There are some families that will suffer as a result of this," LAPD Capt. Jeff Hollis told the station.
According to Fox11, the person who reported their vehicle stolen was related to one of the teens involved in the crash.