Teen with learner's permit crashes into Pasco home, troopers say

A 17-year-old boy with a learner's permit took his mother's SUV without permission and crashed into a house, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

According to deputies, the boy, whose name we are withholding because of his age, was driving east on Bimini Drive approaching Candlewick Lane in Port Richey about 12:45 p.m. Monday when he ran a stop sign and ran into a house in the 8600 block of Candlewick Lane.

The boy told troopers he was a new driver and took the 2003 Ford Explorer without his mother's permission.

He said the accelerator locked up, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. When questioned, however, he said he might have mistaken the gas pedal for the brake.

A trooper said he tested the brakes and found nothing wrong.

No injuries were reported.

The teen will be cited for reckless driving, not wearing a seatbelt, running a stop sign and violating the restrictions on a learner's permit, FHP said.