Man clinging to outside of truck teaching teen to drive dies in accident, Florida cops say

A family friend teaching a 14-year-old to drive while clinging to the outside of a pickup truck was killed when the teen lost control, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The 51-year-old man from New Jersey was standing on the truck’s running boards and hanging on to the open driver’s side window while trying to teach the teen to drive, Florida Highway Patrol Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan told McClatchy News.

The teen lost control of the vehicle and accelerated, causing the truck to lurch forward and eject the man, Bryan said.

The man was run over by the truck’s rear wheels, he said.

The crash occurred at around 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 9, according to an FHP news release. It happened on a low-speed road in an unincorporated area of Flagler County near Bunnell, Bryan said.

Paramedics took the man to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the release says.

Driver’s must be at least 15 years old to obtain a Florida learner’s permit, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Bryan said no charges have been filed as of Feb. 10, but the incident remains under investigation.

Bunnell is about 95 miles northeast of Orlando.

This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Man clinging to outside of truck teaching teen to drive dies in accident, Florida cops say."