A week after getting his driver’s license, a 16-year-old Hoquiam student on a lunchtime joy ride rolled his vehicle with four passengers inside Thursday on Moon Island Road. Fortunately, according to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers, the occupants suffered only minor cuts and bruises in the accident.

Investigators determined the driver was westbound in the 100 block of Moon Island Road at a high rate of speed when he encountered a deep puddle. The car hydroplaned and fish-tailed for 300 feet before rotating off the road to the right, rolling over as the red 2002 Honda Civic hit the deep gravel on the shoulder. The car wound up back on its wheels, according to Myers.

“All of the youth were apparently at lunch from Hoquiam High School when the driver decided to ‘mess around’ and drove down Moon Island Road at a high rate, which witnesses estimated at 40 to 60 mph,” said Myers. “It was fortunate the occupants only suffered minor cuts and bruises in the roll-over impact. They were checked at the scene by a Hoquiam ambulance and later transported for medical care by their parents.” Two of the passengers were 16, the other two 17.

Myers said the 16-year old driver was not only in violation of his intermediate driver’s license restriction, meaning he was not allowed to have passengers under the age of 20, he was also charged with reckless driving. The vehicle was impounded.