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A teen is dead and two more are injured after a 15-year-old crashed a stolen car in St. Petersburg Sunday morning, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

In a Sunday morning press conference, Sheriff Gualtieri said a sheriff’s office helicopter pilot saw three teenagers walking east on 62nd Avenue North from the air. The pilot then asked for officers to investigate the teens.

Gualtieri said while deputies were on the way, the teenagers got into a Maserati at the intersection of 62nd Avenue North and 28th Street. The owner of the vehicle left it unlocked with the keys still inside.

“We talk about this all the time,” he said. “People really need to lock their car doors and don’t leave your keys in the car, but they do. And when these kids are out in the middle of the night and they’re stealing cars and breaking into cars, that’s what they’re looking for.”

Gualtieri said the three teens drove off with the lights off and were spotted by the PCSO air unit. Deputies followed the car and turned on their emergency lights, but didn't give chase per county policy. The sheriff said the teenagers continued to drive at a high speed without their lights on until the driver of the vehicle lost control and flipped the car. 

“These are young kids,” Gualtieri said. “They’re inexperienced drivers, no driver’s licenses, driving 3:30 in the morning, 80 mph.” The front seat passenger, a 15-year-old, died at the scene of the crash. The backseat passenger, a 16-year-old boy, suffered life-threatening injuries and is not expected to make it, according to the sheriff. The 15-year-old driver suffered critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

The minors had no criminal history, but on Sept. 11, the three teens were stopped by a Kenneth City police officer when they were seen walking in a residential area at 4 a.m. while wearing black clothes and face coverings, Gualtieri said. THe kids were simply sent home to their parents in that incident.

“One of the kids shared a room with a younger sibling, and from what I understand from the deputies talking to the parents this morning is that the younger sibling didn’t even know he left,” Gualtieri said. “You gotta feel for these parents because they know the issues you got with 15, 16-year-old kids. They’re trying to do something about it, trying to be aware of it, and the kid sneaks out.”