JUPITER — The boy killed in an electric bike crash involving a car Thursday night was a student at Jupiter Middle School, the principal confirmed in an email on Friday.
The incident occurred in the area of Indian Creek Parkway and Pennock Lane at about 7:50 p.m. outside of the Paseos community. Two boys riding on an e-bike were struck by a car traveling on Indian Creek Parkway, Jupiter police said in a Facebook post.
WATCH: Residents speak out after Jupiter Middle School student killed in e-bike crash
Police said when they arrived on scene, a child was pronounced dead at the scene. The other child was taken to the hospital with injuries. The driver of the car was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
A memorial could be seen at the site of the crash on Friday. One of the victim's friends laid a bouquet of flowers at the site.
“I just didn't know what to feel. I was shocked,” 6th grader Jayden Macario said. “At first I didn't know if it was true.”
Macario is friends with the boy who died in an e-bike crash on Thursday. He said he shared an engineering class with him at Jupiter Middle School.
“A lot of people were there and a lot of counselors, they were crying,” Macario said. “There was a lot happening.”
Jupiter Middle School principal Lisa Hastey sent the following message in part to parents Friday:
It is with deep sadness that I share the news that one of our students has passed away following an off-campus incident. Out of respect for the family’s privacy and for confidentiality reasons, we are not publishing the student’s name at this time.
On behalf of our school community, I will be reaching out to the student’s family to express our heartfelt condolences and offer support.
As parents and caregivers, you may find that your child is processing this loss in different ways. For some, this may be the first time they have experienced the death of a peer or someone in their community. I encourage all of us to approach conversations about this with care, compassion, and respect.
Grief counseling, including school counselors and school psychologists, will be available on campus today for our students and staff to ensure they have the emotional support they may need to help them through this difficult time. We will also have therapy dogs on campus today for additional support. If you believe your child would benefit from speaking with someone, please encourage them to do so.
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Police said it does not appear there are any criminal violations regarding the traffic crash.
Thursday’s crash is the fourth e-bike death in the last week.
Troopers said a hit-and-run driver killed 58-year-old Anthony Wallace, who was on his e-bike running an errand for his wife last week near Vero Beach.
On Wednesday, Boynton Beach police said a 42-year-old e-bike rider died in a crash with a car.
Yesterday on U.S. 1 in Martin County, investigators said an e-bike rider who violated the right of way was hit and killed by a car near Hobe Sound.
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“E-bikes are a new issue for us,” Martin County Sheriff John Budenseik said. “Legislation and law enforcement are trying to catch up with how to regulate e-bikes as they have kind of exploded upon us.”
That brings us to the crash last night in Jupiter, and WPTV reporter Joel Lopez spoke with a neighbor who lives closest to the intersection of Indian Creek Parkway where the crash happened.
“My kids are all adults now, so you know I feel like I don't have to worry, but I still worry about the other kids,” said Kristen Murgio. “The kid lost a life. Their parents, like those types of things is what I think about.”
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Meanwhile, Jupiter Vice Mayor Malise Sundstrom said in a Facebook post the town plans to host a meeting with the Jupiter Police Department focused on e-bike safety and community solutions.
"We are currently working to host this important community conversation. While we don't have a confirmed date or time yet, we wanted to let you know that this is a top priority," Sundstrom said in the post.
The Jupiter Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this incident, or who may have been in the area at the time, to call 561-746-6201.
