The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating after a 17-year-old on an electric bicycle was airlifted with serious injuries to a hospital following a Thursday morning crash in Manatee County, according to a news release.
FHP troopers were notified about a crash that happened at approximately 7:10 a.m. at the intersection of Erie and Fort Hamer roads near Parrish Community High School. The crash involved a Chevy SUV and a pedestrian on an electric bike.
The news release stated that the Chevy SUV, driven by a 17-year-old from Palmetto, was heading east in the right turn lane of Erie Road approaching the intersection of Fort Hamer Road.
At the same time, the pedestrian was operating an e-bike and stopped on the sidewalk at the southeast corner of the intersection. As the pedestrian started crossing west across Fort Hamer Road within the south marked crosswalk, the SUV turned right onto Fort Hamer Road.
The SUV failed to yield to the right-of-way and collided with the pedestrian and electric bicycle, according to the news release.
The pedestrian was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital by air ambulance in serious condition. FHP is continuing to investigate the crash, according to the news release.
The news release had no information on whether the driver sustained any injuries.
So far in 2026, there have been an estimated 100,149 total crashes in Florida, according to the crash dashboard operated by the Florida Highway Motor Vehicle and Safety department.
Of those, there have been approximately 64,757 injuries statewide.
In Manatee County, there have been about 1,716 crashes, resulting in 15 fatalities and 1,193 injuries, according to the dashboard. There have also been 63 crashes involving pedestrians.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the criminal justice, courts and legal system for the Herald-Tribune. Reach out with a news tip to gszymanowska@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Teen hospitalized after Manatee County crash near Parrish High School
Reporting by Gabriela Szymanowska, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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