14-year-old riding e-bike to school dies after colliding with SUV on Long Island
A Long Island teenager died Thursday morning in a collision with an SUV.
Police said the crash happened as Jayden Flores, 14, was riding his e-bike to Mepham High School in North Bellmore.
A homeowner who lives at Alice and Bellmore avenues told CBS News New York she heard a loud bang at 7 a.m. and rushed outside to find a teenager laying on her front lawn. She said she tried giving him CPR.
She called it a parent's worst nightmare.
"Even though I knew right away when I saw him that it was too late, I felt his pulse, and I know, as a mother, that I had to do everything I could to try, and I just did it as long as I could until the policeman came," said the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous.
"I thought he was fine because he was wearing his helmet," said Jayden's mother, Tania Salazar.
The helmet wasn't enough to save him from the force of the impact, however. Jayden was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"I don't know what happened. You know, there is, like, a light here. My son wasn't– he always respect the light. So I know he crossed when he has to cross," Salazar said. "How that can be possible? He's dead."
Police said the 45-year-old SUV driver was heading south on Bellmore Avenue, and it's not clear who had the light.
"We always talk about this. Like, you have to be careful crossing the street and everything. He says, 'Yeah, I'm not speeding. I'm just going, like, 15 [mph],'" Salazar said.
"You can't protect your kids every single day of their life. As they get older, they go off and do their own things, and you just pray to God that they're safe. But sometimes things are out of our control," the homeowner said.
Nassau County law requires e-bike and scooter drivers to be at least 16 years old. Jayden's family had recently moved to the area from Queens.
The Bellmore-Merrick School District activated its crisis response team, making counselors available for heartbroken classmates.
Police said the SUV driver stayed at the scene after the crash, and no charges have been filed at this time. The investigation is ongoing.