Teen Boy, 13, Dies After Being Struck by a Truck While Riding an Electric Scooter to Buy Flowers for His Mom

Colton Remsburg was struck by a pickup truck while crossing the street on an e-scooter on May 10 and died from his injuries three days later

NEED TO KNOW

• Colton Remsburg, 13, died on May 13, three days after being struck by a pickup truck while riding an electric scooter in the Lake Nona area of Orlando, Fla.
• He was headed to the store to buy flowers for his mom when the fatal crash occurred
• Colton is being remembered as a teen “full of energy and kindness, with a passion for sports and fishing that has brought joy to so many”

A Florida community is mourning the loss of a teenage boy, who died from his injuries following an electric scooter crash.

The teen, identified by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) as 13-year-old Colton Remsburg, was riding an e-scooter in the Lake Nona area of Orlando on Sunday, May 10, when the fatal crash occurred, per local outlets Spectrum News 13, Fox 35 Orlando and WESH 2. He was headed to a store to buy Mother's Day flowers for his mom when he was struck by a pickup truck while crossing a street.

The FHP said the collision happened on the eastbound lanes of Moss Park Road near Savannah Pines Drive.

Colton was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, and he died three days later on Wednesday, May 13.

The driver of the pickup truck, a 35-year-old man, was not injured and remained on the scene, per the FHP. Troopers said he stopped and attempted to render aid to Colton. He likely will not be charged or ticketed, the FHP said, per the outlets.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Tyler Embry, who described himself as a close friend of Colton's family, told WESH 2, “It's just really sad that it had to happen to him."

"The worst thing was that he didn't wear a helmet, and he didn't have any broken bones on him," Embry continued. "It's just that he hit his head so hard on the ground."

Another friend of the teen's family provided WESH 2 with a photo of the crash scene, which showed that the impact of the collision split the boy's e-scooter into two pieces.

In a GoFundMe fundraiser established to support Colton's family after his hospitalization, the 13-year-old was described as "a bright light in the lives of everyone who knows and loves him."

"Colton is full of energy and kindness, with a passion for sports and fishing that has brought joy to so many," the fundraiser message continued. "He is also a proud and loving big brother who means the world to his family."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"After a tragic accident, Colton’s family is facing the hardest moments of their lives," the message said. "No parent should ever have to endure this kind of pain, and the emotional weight they are carrying is unimaginable."

Lake Nona Youth Sports President Jason Kleiner told Spectrum News 13 that Colton was a promising football player who was set to start his first season of tackle football.

“Colton is one of our youth athletes. He’s been involved with the program for about three years,” Kleiner said before the teen's death. “Yesterday was actually equipment pick up, so he should have been here picking up his equipment.”

On Friday, May 15, the youth sports organization held a moment of silence in honor of Colton during two of its evening flag football games. "LNYS has lost one of our own," the organization wrote on Facebook hours before the games. "In honor of Colton’s memory, we will be holding 2 moments of silence tonight 5/15 at Heroes Community Park during our final regular season flag football games. Your presence will mean more than you know."

Colton was a student at Innovation Middle School in Orlando. In a statement shared on social media, Orange County School District Superintendent Maria Vazquez described the teen's death as a "devastating loss."

"Our hearts are broken over the tragic loss of one of our Innovation Middle School students," she said. "On behalf of Orange County Public Schools, I extend my deepest condolences to the student’s family, friends, classmates, and teachers as they navigate this unimaginable grief."

Vazquez also said that counseling would be available for the district's students and staff.

She added: "This heartbreaking tragedy is also a reminder for all parents to talk to their children about e-scooter and e-bike safety, including wearing helmets, following traffic laws, and staying alert near roadways and intersections."

In the wake of Colton's death, community members are also voicing their concerns surrounding the safety of e-scooters and e-bikes in the area.

“This is the second student in District 2 that has died because of micromobility devices,” Maria Salamanca, an Orange County Public Schools board member for District 2, told Spectrum News 13.

“I’ve brought this up many times to the board. I’m very concerned," she added. "I’m going to have a town hall meeting with [Orlando City] Commissioner [Tom] Keen."

Kleiner told Fox 35 Orlando that he had already met with Keen to discuss the issue. "We are putting together a collective of who needs to be involved to figure out how to effect change so that this doesn't happen again," he said.

Read the full article here