Two people, a father and his 6-year-old son, were sent to the hospital following a Daytona Beach car accident. The driver, who has been identified as 15-year-old Stephon Shropshire, stole a Daytona State College baseball player’s truck, according to police.
Shropshire, the underage driver, was traveling at speeds in excess of 70 mph down Mary McLeod Bethune Boulavard when he slammed into the victim’s car on Keech Street. The victims, Ernest McCante, 21, and his 6-year-old son were immediately transported to Halifax Health Medical Center.
Chief Mike Chitwood said that McCante’s injuries were so severe that he would not be surprised if he died. However, police later reported that McCante was expected to survive. The child was also expected to survive suffering only head and neck injuries.
Detectives were on campus for unrelated business when the incident began. Chitwood said that the detectives noticed the baseball players jumping over the fence while one player calling out that his truck was being stolen. Shropshire accelerated and hit the ballplayer as the ballplayer tried to stop the truck. The ballplayer experienced only slight injuries to his hand and leg.
Shropshire then sped away from campus where motorcycle officers took notice of him traveling at high speeds down Mary McLeod Bethune Boulavard, before striking the southbound car that the two victims were in.
The charges against Shropshire include, auto theft, reckless driving, aggravated battery, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and driving with no driver’s license.