A 13-year-old boy in the custody of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources was killed Wednesday evening in a car fire, according to a release from Charleston police.
It happened at about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 800 block of Woodward Drive.
Jeremy Bush, 13, was a resident at the ResCare facility at 1033 Woodward Drive, Sgt. Mark Kinder said in the release. Bush left with the keys to a 2015 Dodge Caravan, leased by the DHHR, then drove south on Woodward.
Police said Bush was driving the van when it crashed into a stone retaining wall. He was the only person in the car.
First responders found Bush dead in the vehicle when they arrived. City police and firefighters put out the fire. Police said the van had heavy damage from the "high speed impact" and fire.
Charleston police are investigating.
The road was closed for several hours after the crash.
DHHR spokeswoman Allison Adler said Thursday afternoon that the agency will be conducting an investigation and wouldn't comment further because of privacy issues.
Calls to ResCare went unanswered Thursday. No one came to the doors of the facility Thursday afternoon.