15-year-old boy critically injured, another arrested after Joliet crash involving stolen car: police

JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) -- A teenage boy is critically injured and another has been arrested after a Friday morning crash involving a stolen vehicle, south suburban police said.

Joliet police said officers responded to a crash near Ingalls Avenue and Krings Lane just before 4:30 a.m. on Friday.

A 15-year-old boy was driving a stolen Kia Soul westbound on Ingalls Avenue when he lost control and struck the back of a parked, unoccupied John Deere construction tractor, police said.

The Joliet Fire Department transported the driver and his passenger, another 15-year-old boy, to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center. The teen passenger was then taken to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, where he remains in critical condition.

Officers determined that the Kia was stolen in 1000 block of Clara Avenue. The teen driver was taken into custody. He has been charged with motor vehicle theft, and was also cited for not having a valid driver's license and failing to reduce the vehicle's speed to avoid an accident.

Joliet Police Traffic Unit is investigating.