TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 15-year-old boy died after a school bus collided with his bicycle in Lakeland on Tuesday.
The Lakeland Police Department was called to Pipkin Road, located near the airport, at around 7 a.m. to respond to the crash.
When first responders arrived, they began treating an unresponsive teenager who was struck by a Schools of McKeel Academy school bus. The boy was rushed to Lakeland Regional Health, where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives believe the boy was struck while attempting to cross Pipkin Road. According to Google Maps data, there do not appear to be any crosswalks installed across that stretch of Pipkin Road.
According to the Lakeland Police Department, the bicyclist was a 15-year-old Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) student who attended Central Florida Aerospace Academy.
PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid provided the following statement to WFLA:
We are heartbroken by this morning’s news of a Central Florida Aerospace Academy student who lost his life in a traffic accident before school. This is a devastating tragedy for the student’s family, as well as CFAA and our community. We have been in contact with the student’s family and are making counselors available to the students and staff at school. We urge everyone in our community – all motorists and students – to take extra caution around schools and help save lives.
PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid
“This is a horrific accident that occurred this morning,” Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said during a news conference. “And 20 days before Christmas, that makes it even worse.”
The school bus driver, identified as a 71-year-old woman, immediately stopped after the collision and cooperated with police, according to Taylor. Speed is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
The Schools of McKeel Academy, a charter school system, provided the following statement in an email to parents:
The Schools of McKeel AcademyThis morning we learned of a tragic accident involving one of our buses and a PCPS student. No mere words can offer any solace. Our hearts are broken over this accident and tragic loss of a young life. We join our PCPS family and the family of the student as our community processes this enormous grief.
The school system intends to “fully cooperate with law enforcement” as they investigate the boy’s death, according to the statement.
