Battle Creek Police Arrest Unlicensed Juvenile After High-Speed Crash Damages Front Porch

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A 13-year-old boy is in custody after crashing a car into a Battle Creek home Saturday afternoon, police say.

Battle Creek Police Department arrested the unlicensed teen driver when they arrived at the scene around 2 p.m. on April 4 at a home in the 100 block of Post Avenue.

"A 13-year-old definitely can't drive and we're very fortunate that there wasn't any serious injuries involved with this," Battle Creek Sergeant Steve Brady said.

The crash occurred when the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed along Post Avenue when it lost control and crashed into the front porch of the residence. The impact dislodged a support pillar on the porch, though the home itself sustained no damage.

Leslie Lux, the homeowner who has lived in the neighborhood for about 40 years, said he was watching TV in his living room when he felt his house start to shake. He heard a big boom and came downstairs to find a car sitting on his porch.

"They could have ran over my grandkids, my great grandkids -- they all play in this yard," Lux said. "My neighbors, they have kids, too."

The 13-year-old was the passenger in the vehicle, which had been borrowed by his 17-year-old friend who was driving. The friend had borrowed the Mustang from his mother.

Emergency responders treated the vehicle passenger for a minor head injury and released him at the scene.

Police Cracking Down on Speeding

Brady said Battle Creek police are cracking down on speeding in the residential neighborhood by implementing more directed patrols.

"We work with other units within the department and that way we can dedicate more than just one officer to the area," Brady said.

Previous Incident on Same Street

Lux said he is concerned about safety in his neighborhood after a similar incident in October 2023 when a speeding driver hit a car on the corner of Post Avenue and Greenville Street and smashed into a house five doors down from his.

That earlier crash sent a car crashing into a Battle Creek home and two people were hospitalized.

Police said the juvenile driver is being held at the Calhoun County Juvenile Detention Facility on charges of reckless driving and driving while unlicensed.