GREELEY, Colo.—An 18-year-old passenger in a car that flew 40 feet into a water-filled gravel pit in an apparent stunt gone bad drowned and had suffered a neck injury, according to an autopsy.
David Griego died Friday night. Deputy Weld County Coroner Chris Robillard on Wednesday said it was unclear whether Griego’s injury happened during the stunt or it was an injury suffered a week earlier.
Weld County prosecutors haven’t determined whether to file charges against Darren Bucklen, 19, who authorities said drove the car over a 2 to 3 foot high dirt ramp both teens built near the edge of the gravel pit.
Dale Lyman, spokesman for the Union Colony First Rescue Authority in Weld County, said the teenagers had cut the roof off an old car they had bought for $300.
It quickly sank after it hit water and friends watched as the boys struggled. Griego was having trouble swimming and sank in 25 feet of water.
“This is absolutely insane,” Lyman said at the time. “I’m not sure what would move someone to try to do this. They intentionally drove this vehicle into the lake. It’s just a huge question mark.”
Neither teen was wearing a life vest.
Griego’s body was recovered on Saturday morning and was buried Wednesday. Griego worked as a foreman installing gutters and spent time rebuilding automobile engines.
