Boy, 16, Killed After Electric Bike Strikes Truck: Arlington Heights PD

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — A 16-year-old Mount Prospect boy was killed Monday night when an electric bicycle he was riding struck a pickup truck. Arlington Heights police said the boy, who was not wearing a helmet, was traveling at a high rate of speed when the crash occurred.

As reported by WGN-TV, the teen has been identified as Samuel Alfaro Acevedo, a student at Rolling Meadows High School.

At around 7:28 pm. Monday, police responded to the intersection of South Reuter Drive and West Grove Street and found the boy unconscious with traumatic injuries. A caller had reported the e-bicycle had struck a gray, 2021 Ford F150 pickup truck.

Police said paramedics from the Arlington Heights Fire Department immediately assessed the boy's condition and began advanced life-saving efforts. The boy was taken to Lutheran General Hospital due to the level of serious and traumatic injuries, where later succumbed to his injuries at around 10:06 p.m. The Arlington Heights Police Department said it will not release any further identifying information until the family has had the opportunity to make further notifications.

The driver, and sole occupant of the truck, was uninjured, according to police.

According to a preliminary investigation, the e-bicycle was travelling northbound on Reuter Drive approaching the intersection with Grove Street. The Ford F150 was driving eastbound on Grove Street approaching Reuter Drive. The e-bicycle entered the intersection, striking the Ford F150 in the rear passenger door at a high rate of speed.

Police said the intersection is controlled by a stop sign for Reuter Drive, with no traffic controls on Grove Street. The initial investigation suggests the operator of the e-bicycle disobeyed the stop sign, entering the intersection at a speed estimated by witnesses between 30 and 40 miles per hour.

There was no suspicion of impairment for the driver of the Ford F150, according to police.

Late Monday night, Grove Street remained closed to vehicular traffic for evidence collection and scene investigation.