Youth Crashes Truck Into School Awning

GRAND SALINE — A 14-year-old, looking for a lost dog, smashed a pickup truck into the walkway awning at Grand Saline Elementary School Monday night.

The youth was not injured despite one of the awning’s metal beams going through the windshield near the driver’s seat.

According to the Grand Saline Police Department’s report, the youth said he took a spare key to his family’s Chevy C-1500 pickup to look for a dog that had escaped from his yard.

The report stated the youth thought he spotted the dog while traveling in a driveway between the school entrance and one of the buildings. While distracted, the youth unintentionally veered the truck onto the sidewalk and into the metal beams supporting the sidewalk’s awning.

The truck sustained heavy damage and had to be towed form the scene.

Grand Saline ISD Superintendent Mark Keahey said the process is under way to replace the damaged awning.

"The insurance company of the driver has been in contact with us, getting a quote to get that cleaned up and reconstructed," said Keahey. "They have been very cooperative about getting it done."

He added, "I am glad the child driving was not injured."

Police issued the youth citations for operating a motor vehicle with no driver’s license and failing to control a motor vehicle’s speed.