Police confirm officer fatally strikes teen cyclist
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MOLINE, Illinois (Quad-City Times) — A Moline police officer was involved in a fatal crash that killed a 13-year-old male Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Moline Police Department, at approximately 2:52 p.m., a beat officer was dispatched to a disturbance near 41st Street and 12th Avenue. The officer was traveling southbound in the 1100 block of 34th Street when the squad car struck the victim on a bicycle just south of 11th Avenue.
The crash occurred at approximately 2:55 p.m. The child was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
The Moline Police Department immediately requested the Illinois State Police to respond to the scene and blocked off the area to motorists.
The squad car that struck the victim is equipped with an Axon in-car video system, and the Illinois State Police requested its certified crash reconstruction specialists from the Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit as well as investigators from the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation.
The Illinois State Police will conduct an independent investigation of the traffic crash and will provide a complete report to the state’s attorney when complete.
The Moline Police Department will conduct a separate Internal Affairs investigation to review policies, procedures and actions of the department personnel, which is a separate investigation.
The officer driving the squad car has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“This is an extraordinarily tragic and difficult loss of life,” Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said in a news release. “Our deepest sympathies are conveyed to the family during this difficult time. Words cannot describe this situation. We ask that the public keep everyone involved in their thoughts and prayers.”
Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati also issued a statement Tuesday night:
“The City of Moline mourns the loss of life in a tragic event that occurred this afternoon. As Mayor of Moline my thoughts are with everyone involved in this situation. Unexpected tragedies do occur. May we hug our loved ones tighter this evening as we are reminded of the unpredictability this world often hands us.
“Our community will get through this difficult time together. For now we need to let the investigation into this event take its course. The city of Moline Police Chief Gault will work with the Illinois State Police to ensure full cooperation into the investigation.”
— Anthony Watt contributed to this report
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