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Teen driver in deadly accident had no license or permit

March 07, 2011|By Brian Heap | KWCH 12 Eyewitness

(WICHITA, Kan.) — Eyewitness News has learned new information about a deadly crash last Friday evening that took the life of an 11 year-old Wichita boy.

Wichita Police have identified the victim as Jordy Vitela, 11.  He was a 5th grader at Horace Mann Magnet, school district officials said. 

Crisis counselors were available today at Horace Mann to help students deal with the loss of their classmate. 

"They ask anything and everything," said USD 259 crisis counselor Liz McGinness.  "They struggle with the same kinds of questions. Why did this happen?"

Vitela was the youngest of three passengers in a van driven by his 15 year-old brother.

The van began to fish-tail on a dirt road and then flipped over, near the intersection of Silver and Skinner in Southwest Wichita.  No one in the van was wearing a seat belt, Wichita Police Lt. Steve Kenney said.

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Vitela was thrown from the van and killed at the scene.

The 15 year-old driver did not have a license, or a permit, police said.  A decision about whether to file charges in the case could take weeks and would be made by the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office, Kenney said.

Two other teenage passengers weren't seriously hurt.

All the teens attend West High School.  Crisis counselors were available there today as well, McGinness said.

A Jordy Vitela Memorial Fund has been created for his family.  Donations can be made at any Southwest National Bank branch.

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