Lindy Douglas Obituary, Death; – A 16-year-old boy from Riviera Beach tragically passed away on November 1 when the minibike he was operating collided with a car on West Blue Heron Boulevard, according to police reports.
Lindy Douglas succumbed to his injuries at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where paramedics transported him following the afternoon accident near City Hall. His passenger, Joell Banks, a 17-year-old from Loxahatchee, suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Police indicated that neither Douglas nor Banks were wearing helmets during their ride, and their minibike was not considered “street legal,” which means it was not permitted to be operated on a roadway such as Blue Heron.
The two were traveling eastbound on Blue Heron shortly before 3 p.m. at a speed exceeding the posted limit when the bike swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a 2007 Nissan Sentra driven by a 52-year-old man from Riviera Beach, as reported by the police.
The driver of the Sentra remained at the scene and is not facing any charges, having not sustained any injuries.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office is tasked with determining the cause of Douglas’ death.
This tragic incident occurs at a time when municipalities throughout Palm Beach County are addressing the traffic safety concerns associated with e-bikes, e-motos, and off-road vehicles like minibikes when they are operated on local streets and sidewalks. A crash involving an e-bike in Jupiter in March resulted in the death of a 12-year-old middle school student. Additionally, a crackdown by the sheriff’s office on the illegal use of e-motos—electric motorcycles capable of reaching speeds close to 60 mph—in Wellington led to 16 arrests, 51 traffic stops, 26 citations, and 24 warnings.
