WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — A 14-year-old boy in White Settlement was seriously injured after he was hit by a vehicle while riding a mini-motorbike Tuesday, police said.
Chief Christopher Cook said the teen was on a mini-motorbike when a driver struck him. The crash happened near Brewer Middle School during lunchtime.
The boy was taken to a hospital with what Cook called "life-threatening injuries."
Cellphone video showed the moments right after the crash involving the teenager and a woman driving an SUV.
They collided Tuesday afternoon outside of the Mary Poppins Balloons and Flowers store, where owner, Mary Moore, heard everything.
"I was in the back working, and I heard this ungodly wailing," said Mary Moore, "and I walked around the back of the van. And the lady unfortunately, the driver was just wailing. She was devastated because she had hit the motorcycle. You know, I thought, oh, my gosh, somebody is in danger. I'm no hero or no brave person. But if you heard someone wailing, you would go to their aid."
As the driver of the SUV traveled northbound on South Cherry Lane, the teenager rode his motorized bike into the intersection. The bike ended up under the SUV, where it caught fire.
Cook shared that the teenager was not wearing a helmet. He also explained that the teen's motorized bike is not a street-legal vehicle. The impact of the crash left the teen with critical injuries, including head trauma.
"The kid was ejected and flew several feet up on the curb line," said Cook, "Unfortunately, he had some really severe trauma when our first responders got here."
The driver of the SUV stayed at the scene. During their preliminary investigation, police had no reason to believe the driver was impaired in any way.
The crash got the attention of John Morton, who rides a motorized bicycle on the same street.
"For the most part it's safe," said Morton, "There's not a not a problem with it. You have to pick your times. And there's other times when it's not quite as safe."
Although the crash happened right outside Brewer High School, police do not believe the teenager attends the school. Officers did learn that the teenager lives nearby and may have been about a block from home when the crash happened.
Other local news:
