A 16-year-old boy from Kissimmee was killed, and an 18-year-old man was seriously injured, after the dirt bike they were riding struck a metal pole in Osceola County on Sunday evening.
According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, the fatal crash occurred at around 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, November 3, near the intersection of Marigold Avenue and Peabody Road.
FHP stated that a 2004 Honda dirt bike was traveling northbound, in the southbound lane, on Marigold Avenue, just south of the Peabody Road intersection. At the same time, a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse was heading southbound on Marigold Avenue.
A trooper noted in the report that the dirt bike swerved to the left in an attempt to avoid the SUV. As a result, the dirt bike veered off the roadway and onto the shoulder, where it crashed into a metal pole.
After the impact, both occupants fell off the dirt bike, and the vehicle landed sideways on the roadway, in the direct path of the SUV.
The 16-year-old boy who was riding the dirt bike was transported to HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The vehicle’s 18-year-old male passenger was taken to Osceola Regional Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.
Both riders were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, according to the report.
The SUV’s three occupants – a 57-year-old man (driver), 44-year-old woman (passenger), and 16-year-old boy (passenger), all from Kissimmee – were not injured.
The crash remains under investigation, according to FHP.