A 16-year-old boy in Santa Fe, Texas was struck and killed by a reckless driver while riding his bicycle home from his girlfriend’s house.

About the Fatal Bicycle Accident

16-year-old Douglas William Bleimeyer Jr., of Santa Fe, Texas was riding his bike on a Thursday night after visiting his girlfriend when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The fatal accident occurred around 11 pm.

KHOU News reports that Bleimeyer Jr. and his friend where riding their bikes when Bleimeyer Jr. was hit by a pick-up truck.  According to eye witness testimony, the driver was in a dark colored pick-up truck with a lifted suspension.

Several new outlets reported that local authorities have a person of interest and have identified the vehicle that was used.

Reaction from the Community

The Bleimeyer family received a phone call from local authorities about the accident around 1:30 am the following morning. They were left devastated and shocked upon hearing the news.

According to the Santa Fe police, the only credible witness is the boy that was riding with Douglas Bleimeyer Jr.  Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Santa Fe Police Department.

Texas Traffic Accident Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

• 3,408 people were killed in traffic collisions in Texas in 2013, marking a .26-percent decrease from the 3,417 deaths recorded in 2012.
• Another 232,599 people were injured in auto accidents in 2013 with 16,807 people reporting serious injuries.
• Pedestrian fatalities totaled 493 in 2013 – this is a 1% increase from 2012.
• Pedalcyclist deaths totaled 48 in 2013.