POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 15-year-old Auburndale High School student riding an electric scooter was struck and killed early Tuesday morning, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the crash happened in the area of 34th Street NW and Avenue S NW around 5:50 a.m.
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According to a news release, a Dodge Durango was behind another vehicle as it approached the intersection with Avenue S NW. The driver, identified as a 29-year-old Winter Haven man, told deputies he swerved to avoid dogs that ran into the road and entered the southbound lane and into the path of the teen on the scooter.
As a result, deputies said the scooter struck the right front of the SUV.
The teen, identified as Winter Haven resident Yeriel Gonzalez, died at the scene, according to the release.
Deputies said Gonzalez was heading to a friend’s house and was operating a small black-and-white electric scooter near the center of the southbound lane of 34th Street when the crash happened.
The driver of the SUV was not injured, officials said.
According to the release, the sheriff’s office chaplains responded to the scene and met with the Gonzalez’s family, and the PCSO Safe Schools Division is working with Polk County Public Schools to provide assistance to the Auburndale High School faculty, staff, and students.
The crash remains under investigation.
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