WILMINGTON — A teenager and their parents face multiple charges for a two-car collision that left one person dead earlier in the summer.
The Wilmington Police Department has charged the parents of a 15-year-old driver with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle.
The juvenile has been charged with:
- Misdemeanor Death by Motor Vehicle
- Careless and Reckless Operation Resulting in Serious Injury
- Speeding (79 mph in a 45 mph zone)
- No Operator’s License
In a release Wednesday, WPD said it has been investigating the car crash that left Marina Smyrnow dead on June 16 just before 11:15 p.m. Smyrnow was driving a Lexus and attempting to turn left when a Chevrolet Colorado traveling westbound on Military Cutoff Road struck the Lexus.
The incident took place at the intersection of Station and Military Cutoff roads and WPD allege the juvenile was driving 79 miles per hour. There was significant damage to both vehicles and the crash resulted in serious injuries, with Smyrnow succumbing to hers.
According to a GoFundMe for Smyrnow’s family to pay for her funeral, she suffered from a spinal cord injury which left her unable to breathe on her own. She had surgery, but the injury to her diaphragm was too severe and she died on June 21.
Toxicology results remain pending, according to WPD, to determine if impairment was a factor for either driver.
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