NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – A 15-year-old boy died in a hospital after he was hit by a car while riding his bike at the five-way intersection of Penman Road, Florida Boulevard and Forest Avenue Friday night, according to the Neptune Beach Police Department.
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Police said the 15-year-old boy was riding his bike home from the Fletcher High School homecoming game and went through the crosswalk on Penman Road when a driver going north hit him.
First responders started CPR and used an AED before transporting the boy to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, where he died, according to police.
Police Chief Michael Key Jr. said another teenager was with the victim at the time of the crash but was not hurt.
“Parents and family are simply devastated. I sat with them last night in their living room, and there’s simply no words to express the loss of a child. They ask for privacy,” Key said.
The driver and several witnesses who stopped are cooperating with the investigation.
Police did not identify the victim.
The driver is not facing criminal charges, but Key said Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
“It is something that’s very devastating to this whole community,” Neptune Beach Mayor Elaine Brown said Saturday.
Back in 2018, Neptune Beach officials said they were looking into turning the five-point stoplight into a roundabout to improve traffic flow and improve the safety of pedestrians.
It is unclear where that plan stands.