An early-morning joy ride ended in tragedy when a group of Avondale teens lost control of their truck and smashed into a pole, killing a 14-year-old and sending two other boys to the hospital, police said.

The crash happened about 3:30 a.m. Saturday on 119th Avenue near Encanto Boulevard in Avondale, said police spokesman Rick Rodriguez. The victim, identified as Steven Hernandez, and three other people were heading south on 119th Avenue in a four-door truck when they swerved, lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a pole.

Hernandez, who was a passenger and a freshman at Westview High School in Avondale, died at the scene, Rodriguez said. The driver, also 14, and another passenger, age 15, were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix in serious condition. Both remain hospitalized, Rodriguez said.

"I don't think anybody was old enough to drive inside the truck," he said. "I think they took a relative's vehicle, and they're still investigating all that - the who, what, where, when, why type thing."

Police are looking for a fourth person they believe was in the truck but left the scene before officers arrived.

"We're not sure of his identity at this point in time," Rodriguez said.

The investigation is ongoing.

"We don't even know how this whole thing unraveled yet. We still have some more interviews to do," Rodriguez said. "We're just trying to figure it all out. . . . The cooperation is not the greatest right now."