14-Year-Old Englewood Student Critically Injured After Being Hit by Car While Riding Bike to School

A devastating accident outside Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida, left a 14-year-old student in critical condition early Thursday morning. According to reports from Englewood Fire Rescue, the collision occurred around 7 a.m. on October 16, 2025, as students were arriving for class.

Authorities say the young student was riding her bicycle to school when she was struck by a vehicle driven by another student. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where they found the 14-year-old trapped beneath the car. Firefighters worked quickly to remove her before she was airlifted to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

Officials have not yet released the student’s name, and the crash remains under investigation by local law enforcement.

Bicycle accidents involving young students often raise complex legal questions, especially when they occur in school zones or involve other minors behind the wheel. In Florida, both the driver and potentially their parents (if the driver is a minor) can be held financially responsible for the injuries caused.

Under Florida Statute §316.2065, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists when traveling on public roadways. However, motorists also have a heightened duty of care — especially in school zones — to operate their vehicles safely and yield to cyclists and pedestrians.

Accidents like this one often happen because of:

• Distracted driving (texting or looking away from the road)
• Speeding in school zones
• Failure to yield to a bicyclist or pedestrian
• Limited visibility due to morning sunlight or traffic congestion
• Inexperienced or underage drivers

In this case, with both individuals being students, investigators will likely examine whether driver inexperience or inattention played a role.

Steps Families Can Take After a Serious Bicycle Accident

If your child has been seriously injured in a bicycle accident, understanding what to do next is critical. Here’s a detailed step-by-step overview of what to expect during the process of filing a personal injury claim in Florida.

1. Seek Immediate Medical Care

Even after emergency transport, families should ensure that all medical evaluations are completed. Serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, or spinal trauma may not be immediately visible. Keep all medical records, as they will serve as crucial evidence in a future claim.

2. Obtain a Police Report

Under Florida Statute §316.066, law enforcement must file a traffic crash report for accidents resulting in injury or death. This report will detail the circumstances of the collision, including:

• Driver and witness statements
• Road and weather conditions
• Diagrams or photographs of the scene
• Preliminary fault assessments

You or your attorney can request a copy from the local law enforcement agency investigating the crash.

3. Preserve All Evidence

Evidence at the scene — such as photos, surveillance footage, or eyewitness testimony — can be critical in establishing liability. In school zones, surveillance cameras or dashcams from nearby buses may have recorded the collision.

Your attorney can also send a spoliation letter to ensure no evidence is destroyed by the school, city, or insurance companies involved.

4. Determine Fault and Liability

Florida follows a comparative negligence system under §768.81, which means multiple parties can share responsibility for an accident. Potentially liable parties in a bicycle accident near a school may include:

• The driver of the vehicle
• The vehicle owner (if different from the driver)
• The driver’s parents (if the driver is a minor under 18)
• The school district or city (if unsafe infrastructure contributed to the crash, such as lack of signage or poor lighting)

A thorough legal investigation will identify every potential source of recovery.

5. Understand Florida’s No-Fault and Liability Rules

While Florida’s no-fault system (§627.736) primarily applies to car accidents, it may still impact bicycle collisions if a vehicle was involved.

• If the driver or their parents have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, it may cover up to $10,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of fault.
• However, because the victim is a bicyclist and not the vehicle owner, they may also seek compensation through a third-party liability claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company for damages exceeding PIP coverage.

6. Filing a Personal Injury Claim

To pursue additional compensation, the victim’s family may file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. This claim can seek damages for:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Rehabilitation or long-term care
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of future earning capacity

If the driver was a minor, their parents’ insurance policy will likely be responsible for covering damages.

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7. Contact a Florida Bicycle Accident Attorney

Navigating claims involving minors and serious injuries requires both compassion and legal precision. A skilled Florida bicycle accident attorney can:

• Conduct an independent investigation
• Work with accident reconstruction experts
• Secure medical expert testimony
• Handle negotiations with insurance carriers
• File a lawsuit if a fair settlement is not reached

Attorneys at Flanagan & Bodenheimer Injury and Wrongful Death Law Firm have extensive experience representing families in catastrophic injury and child accident cases throughout South Florida.

Under Fla. Stat. §95.11(4)(a), victims of personal injury generally have two years to file a lawsuit. However, when the victim is a minor, the statute of limitations may be tolled (paused), providing more time to pursue legal action. Your attorney can explain how these timelines apply to your specific case.

At Flanagan & Bodenheimer Injury and Wrongful Death Law Firm, we represent victims of bicycle and pedestrian crashes throughout Florida. Our attorneys fight to hold negligent drivers and entities accountable and ensure families receive full compensation for their losses.

Call (305) 638-4143 for a free consultation. We handle all cases on a contingency-fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win.