A boy riding a pocket bike died early Sunday morning in a collision with a car in South Los Angeles. The small, motorized bike was jammed into the front end of the car in the crash, after which the driver fled on foot, according to police.
As of Sunday night, police were still searching for the motorist.
Pocket bikes cannot be legally operated on streets because they frequently lack important safety features and also are hard for other drivers to see. These motorized bikes also are often operated by minors who do not have a driver’s license, authorities say.
The name and age of the victim have not been released.
The crash happened around 2 a.m. as the pocket bike headed north on San Pedro Street, just past 99th Street. The boy was struck by a dark-colored Toyota Corolla traveling north on the same street.
The driver failed to render aid after striking the rider.
Police described the driver of the car as possibly in his 20s with a heavy build. The driver could be charged with a felony for leaving the scene.
South Traffic Division detectives are urging anyone who witnessed the collision to come forward.
In a statement, police officials said that motorists involved in a collision should pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services and remain at the scene to identify themselves.
The Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the boy dead at the scene.
In October, Joseph Rangel, 15, was on a pocket bike when he died in a hit-and-run collision on the border of the Westlake and Pico-Union neighborhoods.
The California Highway Patrol raised concerns about the growing illegal use of pocket bikes last year.
“CHP East LA Officers have been seeing an uptick in the use of mini bikes/pocket bikes on the streets through Unincorporated East LA,” according to a May 2024 Instagram post from the agency. “Although they may seem fun, they are dangerous (and illegal) to ride on any public street. The majority of those we have come across do not have the proper safety equipment required for motorcycles (brakes, lights, mirrors, turn signals, speedometer).
The post urged parents to help keep them off the streets: “Unfortunately we are showing up to more crashes involving mini bikes (mostly driven by minors) causing serious injuries to the riders. We are urging mini bike owners (and parents) to not ride these bikes on any public roads.”
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