ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said the driver who fatally struck a 12-year-old Patriot Oaks Academy student on a dirt bike on Feb. 17 will not face charges.
The sheriff’s office said on Feb. 17, the student was riding a 99c gas-powered mini dirt bike around 3 p.m. when he was hit by a 17-year-old driving a 2019 Infinity QX50 in the crosswalk outside of Patriot Oaks Academy on Longleaf Pine Parkway.
The student was flown to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
SJSO said that based on the evidence gathered, the motorcycle entered the roadway shortly before the crash. The sheriff’s office said the driver was not driving recklessly, nor was speed or impairment a factor. Investigators said the timing of the motorcycle’s entry into the lane gave the Infinity driver little time to avoid the crash.
No criminal charges will be filed against the driver and the investigation is over.
Sophia and Scarlett Zapata knew the student who was hit, and Sophia was his classmate.
“I could tell you that he’s a really nice kid, and I talked to him a lot,” Sophia Zapata said.
“He’s a wonderful kid,” Scarlett Zapata said. “I’ve heard so much about him and his brother and how he’s super nice, and he’s just really sweet.”
Witnesses said paramedics attempted to use a defibrillator on scene, but he was not responding.
Sophia and her sister sent their prayers in support of his family.
“I feel like I can understand how hard it was for his parents and his relatives to find out. It’s a really hard thing to lose a child. I’m not sure if he’s unconscious or if he has passed, but at least we can pray,” she said.
SJSO confirmed that the student was wearing the helmet that was seen on the ground near the bike.