DeLAND, Fla. – Two boys and the SUV driver who nearly struck them last week in DeLand have all been given citations in the incident, according to police.
It began shortly after noon last Thursday, Sept. 18, where Blue Grass Boulevard intersects with itself in the Saddlebrook subdivision, the DeLand Police Department said in a statement.
Two boys, ages 12 and 13, can be seen on home-security video narrowly avoiding the impact of an SUV that turned into their travel lane while they were stopped at a stop sign, sat atop what police described as electric-powered “motor-bikes.”
One of the two bikes was struck by the SUV, police said, adding both riders took evasive action on foot to avoid being hit.
Tristan Johnson, the 12-year-old, spoke with News 6 about the experience.
“It was scary. I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “He didn’t have a blinker on, so I didn’t know if he was going straight or doing a turn.”
[WATCH: Security camera captures close call in DeLand]
The SUV stopped and remained at the scene, but police were not immediately called, the statement reads. One of the boys reported the crash to his parent, who then went to the scene and spoke with the SUV driver, police said.
At the time, all involved parties opted to resolve the matter with a lawful exchange of information, after which everyone left the area, according to the statement. Just before 2 p.m. however, police said they received a call from the parents of the other juvenile after he returned home and told them what happened.
Police investigated the incident and determined that the vehicles the two boys were riding were not classified as “electric bicycles,” rather deeming them “motor vehicles under 316.003 (46) and 322.01 (29) based on manufacturer specifications,” the statement reads.
The driver of the SUV was cited for careless driving and the two boys were cited for the unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police said.