Jacksonville, Fl — Changes are coming to a stretch of Longleaf Pine Parkway where a 12-year-old was hit and killed on a mini dirt bike.
A flashing crosswalk sign will be installed at the crossing in front of Patriot Oaks Academy.
The child was riding a mini dirt bike at the time of the crash, which has prompted county officials to review both infrastructure and local safety education.
During a community meeting at Creekside High School last night, county leaders said education is another component to safety.
“We’re going to have an education program on how to best use the beacon make eye contact make driver stop and people don’t always know what the right away is so its something that we’re working on but it’s going to be on the parents to teach their kids how to best use the crosswalk.”, said District 1 County Commissioner Christian Whitehurst.
Sheriff Rob Hardwick stressed to parents that e-bikes in general are not to blame, it’s the person operating them.
“I simply say the education piece starts in the home guardians/siblings whoever is raising these children.”, Hardwick said.
On Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office announced the 17-year-old driver who hit the boy will not face charges.
Meantime, Florida lawmakers have taken e-bike and e-scooter safety steps this year, passing a bill that requires e-bike riders to slow down near pedestrians.
They also are setting up a task force to study e-bike safety and crash data.
▶ Listen to Jacksonville’s Morning News Interviews
[ Read more local news from WOKV ]
Click here to download our free news, weather and traffic app. And click here to subscribe to our daily 3 Big Things newsletter.
Iran rejected Trump’s cease-fire proposal, responding with their own offer and demands. Meanwhile, missile strikes continue between Iran and Israel. Israel claims a successful strike has eliminated the Iranian naval commander this morning, which may lead to more accessibility in the Strait of Hormuz. In other international news, Europeans have filed official complaints over sky-high US World Cup ticket prices. Jonathan Savage has this update:
Stacey Hoaglund, President of Disability Advocacy and Support Specialists, Inc, joins JMN to discuss two recent drownings of autistic kids in Florida and a trend of more than last year. Legislative initiatives promoting education resources and increasing swim training voucher age eligibility will help; another initiative regarding securing/alerting doors, gates, and pool access in rental properties is in the works.