Families mourn Livonia teens killed in crash after stealing Mustang

PLYMOUTH TWP., Mich. (WJBK) - Two high school students killed in Plymouth Township when their car slams into an oncoming van, flips and bursts into flames.

Police say the boys were joyriding in a stolen Mustang, trying to outrun officers after speeding away from a traffic stop. Now family, friends and classmates are mourning their loss.

"He talked to his mom at 9:15 and said 'I'm on Ann Arbor Road and I'm on my way home,'" said Michael Frey, a close friend of Deqouya Carroll. "That's the last she heard from him."

Just 15 minutes later 14-year-old Deqouya Carroll and his 14-year-old friend Mark were killed after crashing a stolen car in Plymouth Township Sunday night.

"I can't believe it," Frey said. "(I saw) the kid four hours before."

Frey was like an uncle to Deqouya and says the teen had been celebrating his heritage at a pow-pow that afternoon. Later he hanging out with his friend, Mark, both from Livonia.

The duo apparently stole a white Mustang from a business in Plymouth and were seen joyriding and driving recklessly. Then, while fleeing police, the two teens crashed at Plymouth near Haggerty Road.

"The families have such a hole in them right now," said Livonia Mayor Dennis Wright. "It didn't have to happen."

Frey tells FOX 2 he is devastated Monday, learning it was Deqouya who was driving.

"He was a good kid, I just can't believe he made such a bad choice," Frey said.

Frey says Deqouya loved school, fishing and even had hopes of becoming a police officer one day.

"Since he was 4 or 5," Frey said. "What do you want to do when you grow up - 'I want to be a police officer and help people.'"

Now as police continue to investigate the fiery crash, two families and a community are heartbroken.

"I love you Deqouya," Frey said. "And you're going to be a great angel up there and (they will) put you to good service."

Looking at loving messages to the boys, Michael Frey can't help but think this could have easily been prevented.

"These stupid things everybody is doing nowadays," he said. "It tears your family apart. It wrecks everything. It wrecks your future, it wrecks our prayers for your future."