BENNINGTON -- Authorities reported a joyride early last Thursday morning that got out of control and resulted in injuries.

In a written release, Bennington Police Lt. Lloyd Dean reported authorities responded to the Jan. 3 incident at about 2:50 a.m. The single vehicle involved, a 1999 Dodge pickup, was reported to have struck a tree off Shields Drive, an industrial loop located off East Road near Willow Park.

Upon the arrival of police and rescue personnel, they found the truck with extensive passenger-side damage. The operator of the truck, Scott Kipp, 22, and the passenger, Frank Griffis, 19, both of Bennington, were reported to be injured and were transported to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

Friday afternoon, SVMC representatives reported Griffis in "good" condition, while Kipp was not listed in the hospital's patient registry. Police said neither occupant was wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash, allowing both to be thrown around the truck's interior during the incident causing possible internal injuries.

According to authorities, Kipp was cited for negligent driving with serious injury resulting, and he was also ticketed for speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

Prior to the crash, Dean said Kipp had been "driving through snow banks" when, due to his speed, he lost control of the truck and sideswiped the tree. The resulting impact "peeled" the truck's side sheet metal, Dean said. Bennington Police Officer Thalia Hudson is investigating the crash while the criminal arrest was conducted by Officer Amanda Thomson.

-- Zeke Wright