A boy of about 13 riding his bike south along the northbound lanes of Belle Terre Parkway was struck by a pick-up truck as the boy was crossing Ponce de Leon at 1:38 this afternoon.
The boy had hurt his leg but was walking alongside a paramedic. The orange bicycle was somewhat twisted and appeared to have been struck on its rear wheel as the boy was riding south on the bike and foot trail that parallels Belle Terre. The white SUV was trailing lawn mowing equipment and was occupied by several men. It was pulling out of Ponce de Leon, making a turn to go north on Belle Terre, when the collision took place.
Buddy Taylor Middle School, a little bit to the north, had let out a few minutes earlier, at 1:25 p.m. (15 minutes earlier than last year) on what happens to be the first day of school, though it’s not confirmed whether the boy was returning from school.
Rain had been falling heavily moments before the collision. It’s not known if the rain had stopped just then. It is the latest in a rash of accidents involving bicyclists and motorists on Palm Coast and Flagler County roads this year. Two of those collisions resulted in the death of the cyclists–one on State Road 100, just east of Old Kings Road, where the cyclists was riding in a bike lane, and one on U.S. 1, near Seminole Woods, where a motorist swerved off the road and back on, slamming into a bicycle ridden by a woman.
In Monday afternoon’s collision, one of Belle Terre’s two northbound lanes was briefly shut down. Traffic attempting to make a turn onto Belle Terre from Ponce de Leon was turned away. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was at the scene, along with Flagler County Fire Rescue and Palm Coast Fire Department responders.
The wreck was cleared at 2:08 p.m.
orphan says
Here we go again.
Why oh why, in the name of whatever God people believe in, is it so hard to drive and ride responsibly?
How can something like this happen?
So WHAT? There is rain falling. Rain falls at this time of year on a regular basis. School just started! How hard is it to put your simple lives on hold for just a MOMENT? There are thousands of kids out there and many of them are following new paths to a new school. (And remember-children don’t have enough experience to follow all of the rules all of the time in a new situation).
I am thanking my particular GOD that this boy is ok. And as I am responding to an article that hasn’t yet been filled in with all current info, I place NO blame on the driver of the vehicle which struck the boy. That info will come out.
People! Please try to curtail your self interest in a way that will allow others of us to survive!
That wreck at US1 and Royal Palms–WTH? That wide-open intersection has a zero reason for a crash (I don’t call any of these things *accidents*)!
As an aside: I was under the assumption that traffic lights were a panacea for traffic problems. Apparently this is not so. :(
Mike says
If people would actually stop at STOP signs, this probably could have been avoided, no one seems to stop any more.
Florida Native says
Bikes are supposed to be ridden in the bike path on the side of the street not the sidewalk. Perhaps if he had been riding in the correct area this accident could have been avoided. Bikes and pedestrians on a sidewalk are a bad mix. I walk every evening on the sidewalks in town and am constantly almost run over by bicycles. Having said that this town is horrible when it comes to traffic,bikes and motorcycles. Not sure this is a good solution or not. I will say however that if I had a 13 year old child he/she wouldn’t be riding a bicycle in Palm Coast. This has heart break written all over it. I’m glad this young man is ok.
Bill says
Not sure what happend as the story on it has two diferent versions of what happend? ~ A boy of about 13 riding his bike south along the northbound lanes of Belle Terre Parkway was struck by a pick-up truck as the boy was crossing Ponce de Leon at 1:38 this afternoon.~ The orange bicycle was somewhat twisted and appeared to have been struck on its rear wheel as the boy was riding south on the bike and foot trail that parallels Belle Terre.~ Most likely the boy was on the multi use path the driver of the truck was going to make a right turn did NOt stop at the stop sign and crossing.
BeaRingFlagler says
People that ride on those bike paths need to realize that they need to stop at the intersection. I’ve seen multiple nearly really nasty accidents involving kids on bikes. They zoom right through intersection without stopping, if it wasn’t for a quick response of the driver it would had been a really bad day for the kid and his parents. Stop line at every intersection is before the crossing zebra, even if the driver stopped at the stop sign and the biker didn’t effect of the incident is identical.
Ron C says
I was approaching this intersection as the accident took place, it was not a major event and it did not appear that the driver was at fault. I did not actually see the incident as it happened but did see the rider and the intersection just milliseconds before.
I travel the streets of Palm Coast daily and have had no less then a hundred times when children and or adults riding bikes on the trails – just blast across the intersection without regard for the traffic flow, signage, or lights.
No one, absolutely No one should be on the streets with a bike without proper training in the rules. There is no excuse to allow an untrained/instructed child to ride these trails alone. A parent doing so is risking devastating consequences, and to state that the drivers are at fault for not allowing for a child on unfamiliar trails or being unfamiliar with the rules of the road is ridiculous.
Seminole Pride says
Acc0rding to Florida Law, bikes are considered motorized vehicle and must abide to the same laws. Obviously the driver of the truck was at fault, for striking another vehicle or bike.
Bunnell Resident says
There have been numerous incidences of folks riding on the so called bike path and getting hit even killed. I would ride on a sidewalk any day. It is much safer. When I see soemone walking, I slowmdown and get their attention. Then pass slowly. Too easy. Trying to share the roadnismlike having a death wish.