ROGERS (KFSM) - A 17-year-old boy, identified as Trenton Whitfield, was killed when the SUV he was riding in crashed into Lake Atalanta in Rogers on Friday (Feb. 20), according to officials.
Justin Richards, 18, was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo around the west side of the lake when the vehicle slid on the icy road, traveled down the embankment and into the water, according to police.
Richards and a 15-year-old passenger in the back seat of the SUV were able to escape, but the 17-year-old passenger in the front seat was trapped and unable to get out, a release from police states.
Richards and the 15-year-old went to a nearby home where they called 911 around 8:30 a.m., then they were both treated and released from Mercy Hospital in Rogers, according to police.
Click here to listen to the 911 call.
The Rogers Fire Department was able to locate the SUV and two members of the Benton County Dive Team found it 17-feet below the surface of the water, resting on its hood on an embankment, the release states.
The 17-year-old was pulled from the SUV and transported to Mercy Hospital where he later died, according to police.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, police said.
The Rogers Public Schools public information office said the 17-year-old victim was a student at Rogers Heritage High School.
Robert Moore, the assistant superintendent at Rogers Schools, said students are finding out about the accident and teachers have been notified. He said the district has brought in extra school counselors and has set up a counseling station at Rogers Heritage High School. Counselors were available Friday and will also be available on Monday.
Some who live near the lake think the road should be lined with guardrails, but Rogers Mayor Greg Hines said that's not possible, as the road will be closed permanently to traffic in about six months. He said the road is going to be redesigned into a bike trail.