COOPER CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - A 16-year-old who was struck by a vehicle while riding his scooter to Cooper City High School has died, authorities said.
The incident, which occurred at 9471 Sterling Road just after 8 a.m. Monday, prompted an immediate response from Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found 16-year-old Anthony Malec and transported him to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. However, on Tuesday morning, officials with BSO confirmed that he succumbed to his injuries. He was an 11th grader at the high school.
According to detectives, the preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of a red 2022 Tesla Model X was traveling eastbound on Stirling Road. Malec, on a standup electric scooter, entered the roadway and began to cross Stirling Road northbound diagonally.
The driver of the Tesla remained on the scene. The vehicle sustained considerable front-end damage with a dented hood and a broken front window.
Authorities said Malec was not in a designated crosswalk as he crossed Stirling Road.
Neither excessive speed nor impairment are believed to be factors in the incident, authorities said.
Students arrived to school on Monday morning to find the road blocked off.
“You see those things happen on the news, you don’t necessarily expect it to happen in real life,” said one student.
Police are urging people to use the crosswalk and to cross with caution as a way to avoid these tragedies.
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