LAKELAND, Fla. — A 15-year-old boy was hit and killed by a school bus early Tuesday morning while trying to cross the street on a bicycle, according to the Lakeland Police Department.
Officers responded just before 7 a.m. to the area of Pipkin Road and White Egret Lane on reports of a crash involving someone on a bike. Once on scene, police reportedly found an "unresponsive male," later identified as the teen, who had been hit by a Schools of McKeel Academy school bus.
Crews with the police department arrived on the scene, along with Polk County Fire Rescue and the Lakeland Fire Department, where life-saving measures started.
The teen, identified on GoFundMe as Jaxon Crabtree, was taken to Lakeland Regional Health where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
According to Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor, Crabtree was apparently riding his bike to school when the crash happened. It seems as though he was trying to move from the highway's turning lane into the inside lane where the bus was traveling westbound.
"This is a horrific accident that occurred this morning," Taylor said Tuesday afternoon. "Obviously, 20 days before Christmas makes it even worse."
The 71-year-old woman driving the bus wasn't speeding and stopped immediately, he said. She wasn't hurt in the crash.
There were reportedly eight passengers on the bus at the time of the crash, all ranging from ages 8-11. They were all students who attended South McKeel Academy and McKeel Academy Central.
Crabtree was said to be a student at Central Florida Aerospace Academy.
“We are heartbroken by this morning’s news of a Central Florida Aerospace Academy student who lost his life in a traffic accident before school," Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid said in a statement. "This is a devastating tragedy for the student’s family, as well as CFAA and our community. We have been in contact with the student’s family and are making counselors available to the students and staff at school.
"We urge everyone in our community — all motorists and students — to take extra caution around schools and help save lives.”
There are counselors made available to students following the teen's death. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been made to help his family cover funeral and medical expenses.
Taylor explained the area where the crash happened used to be all cow pastures at one point, but now there are families and houses. But there is no crosswalk in the area.
"It's certainly an area that's being developed," the police chief said. "Anytime a tragedy like this happens, we go back and reassess if we could've improved the intersection, the lighting of the signage or anything there. So that'll be done in the coming days."
The roadway was shut down for around four hours while police investigated.
Those who live in the area said that intersection is dangerous.
"I would never cross the street out there," Lakeland Resident Paul Vankley said.
Vankley has lived in the area for four years and has witnessed several serious accidents. He believes a stoplight that is being built along with construction on the road would help ensure safety.
"Now it looks like they’re going to do a stoplight, but who knows when it’s going to get in… something like what happened today, it’s going to happen again," Vankley added.
10 Tampa Bay asked both city officials in Lakeland and Polk County officials what safety measures are being considered. City officials said it is a county-maintained road.
The county released a lengthy statement explaining the developer of a nearby complex is constructing a stoplight, but it has been delayed due to the supply chain shortage.
In part, the statement said, "Polk County will maintain the signal after installation. Mast arm shafts have already been constructed. A pedestrian crosswalk will be added concurrent with the signal installation. The crosswalk will have push-button activated pedestrian crossing signals."
County officials stated the developer believes it will take another six months to get the necessary pieces to complete the construction on the stoplight.