The 12-year-old boy who crashed his minibike into a truck in New Castle has been released from Children's Hospital. The motorcycle accident caused the boy to suffer a minor concussion, but he broke no bones or suffered any other serious injuries.
This time of year, due to the weather, motorcycle accidents and incident involving similar vehicles are not all that common. Nonetheless, the youngster injured in this incident was riding his brother's electric minibike in the afternoon on Saturday. He apparently was traveling on Smithfield Street, headed south, when he struck the door of a truck headed eastbound on Sunny Avenue.
Fortunately, he was moving at only 15 to 20 miles per hour at the time. However, he allegedly did not stop at the intersection. Unfortunately, there is a stop sign, which he apparently ignored.
Police at the scene noticed he was bleeding from the mouth. The responding officer made the call to airlift him to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of his injuries.
The minibike was a present to the rider's brother, even younger at 10 years old, as a Christmas present. After spending most of the day driving the motorbike through their snow-covered yard, the 12-year-old apparently decided to try to ride it on the street.
Although the boys' mother was surprised, these electric motorbikes are not allowed on public roadways. The responding officer noted that "It's not piston or gasoline-powered, but it is electric. It's not even allowed on sidewalks." Union Township police also noted that these vehicles require adult supervision when in use. Neither of these requirements was fulfilled.
The boys' mother and grandmother didn't even know where the victim was. Until an accident witness knocked on their door with news that the boy was in a traffic accident down the road, the women thought he was with his brother and a friend playing video games. They were likely greatly relieved that his injuries were not more serious.
Source: New Castle News, "Boy released from hospital after minibike-truck crash," Jan. 28, 2013