JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 17-year-old bicyclist was struck by a car and died at a hospital Tuesday morning, according to Jacksonville police.
Officers said Jarrod Peterkin was riding on Kernan Boulevard trying to cross McCormick Road about 8:45 a.m. when he was struck. Police said the driver of a red Toyota Yaris traveling east on McCormick ran a red light and struck the teen.
Peterkin was flown to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, where he died. The teen was about to begin his junior year at Atlantic Coast High School.
His family was still in shock Wednesday night.
"They're doing as bad as can be expected," said Peterkin's aunt, Sharon King. "It's kind of shocking, his mom is not doing well, she's come to grasp but it's kind of hard for her to try to choose a casket you know and stuff like that it was kind of hard on her."
King struggled to hold back tears as she spoke about her nephew who had been attending school at Atlantic Coast and planning to transfer to Sandalwood to graduate.
"I think that was the hardest part because she still hasn't gotten enough information and she's not sure how it happened. Her mind is caught up you know like was he lying on the side of the road? They're not sure how everything is yet, we haven't really gotten the police report, so she's not sure," explained King.
Police were investigating the crash. They have not said whether the driver of the car will be charged.
This is the second fatal crash at the intersection in months. In April, a man was killed when his car flipped in a crash, trapping him underneath.
Nearby residents say it's a sight they are tired of seeing.
"We still have our problems," Mike Schuder said. "You hear the brakes and the crashes. Everybody comes to look what's going on. It happens pretty regular."
Even with the accidents and the heavy traffic, residents say the busy road is still popular with bike riders.
"We've got a lot of bikes around," Schuder said. "Yeah, there's a lot of people riding bikes around here. There's a bike trail they put there. I see them all the time."
Now many in the community are trying to deal with another fatal accident just steps from their home. And for those living closest to the intersection, they're taking steps to keep their families safe.
"They don't even let their daughter go out and play in the back yard because their fence borders the road back there, and they're afraid that somebody's going to come crashing through the fence," said Donn Holder, who lives near the intersection.