14-Year-Old Boy Dies After Riding Bike in Front of Car

Blog Categories:

As a King County personal injury lawyer working at a Renton wrongful death law firm I know just how devastating it can be for a family to lose a loved one, especially a child, in an auto accident. Even though it is raining today, the summer months are here and warm weather is on its way. Most young kids spend their summers riding bikes, swimming and enjoying their time out of school, but it is important for parents to remember that as fun as summer activities are they can also be very dangerous if the necessary safety precautions are not taken.

Tuesday afternoon a 14-year-old boy was killed while riding his bike because he wasn’t paying attention and rode straight into an oncoming car. The boy, whose name has not been released, jumped on his bike without a helmet and took off down his driveway without first checking to see if any cars were coming. A 49-year-old Seattle woman was going the speed limit in her Toyota Prius when the boy rode out in front of her; unfortunately the woman did not have any time to stop before she hit the young teen. Critically injured, the boy was flown to Harborview Medical center and placed in the intensive care unit, but the personal injuries he sustained were so severe that he died in the hospital early Wednesday morning.

Tragic pedestrian accidents like this happen a lot during the summer months when people, especially younger teens and children, are more carefree and pay less attention to their surroundings. Children are less likely to be as cautious as they should be when playing outside; as parents we need to make sure that our children know the rules of the road and always wear their helmet when riding their bike. My thoughts go out to the family of the young boy that was killed. This pedestrian collision could have easily been avoided; I hope that we all learn from this tragic death just how important it is to pay attention.