VENTURA : Youth Suffers Head Injuries in Accident
A 17-year-old Ventura youth suffered serious head injuries on Christmas Eve after being catapulted from the bed of a customized pickup truck equipped with hydraulic equipment, police said Friday.
Enrique Vasquez was in serious condition Friday at Ventura County Medical Center.
Ventura police said Vasquez was a passenger in the bed of a pickup that was westbound on Telegraph Road near Harding Avenue about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The truck, driven by 18-year-old James Gavette of Ventura, was outfitted with a hydraulic system that raised and lowered its bed.
Police said Gavette activated the hydraulics, launching Vasquez out of the bed and onto the road headfirst.
Police said there was no alcohol involved in the incident. No arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.
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