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Juvenile sentenced to probation after deadly UTV crash last year

<i>KNXV via CNN Newsource</i><br/>The collision
KNXV via CNN Newsource
The collision

By KNXV staff

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    Arizona (KNXV) — A juvenile involved in a deadly off-road crash in Scottsdale late last year appeared in court on Tuesday for sentencing.

The collision, involving a Polaris UTV, occurred in December 2023 near Hayden and Jomax roads.

Police say the vehicle was occupied by eight juvenile passengers when it overturned. Two of the occupants were injured and taken to hospitals, including one who later died.

ABC15 learned a 14-year-old was arrested after the crash on multiple charges, including manslaughter and aggravated assault.

The teen pleaded to negligent homicide on Tuesday, and all other charges were dropped. The 14-year-old was sentenced to probation through his 18th birthday and community service.

After the crash, police said all of the people involved were “juveniles” and the driver of the UTV was under the age of 16.

None of the occupants were believed to be wearing helmets or seatbelts at the time of the crash.

Chaparral High School released a statement identifying the teen who died, 14-year-old Gillian Ragan, as a freshman at the school. It described her as a “kind and happy student who had formed many positive relationships at school.” The statement from Chaparral said the crash also involved students from Desert Mountain High School.

A civil suit has been filed by Ragan’s family as they seek more accountability and answers for how the teenagers were able to gain access to the UTV in the middle of the night.

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