A man identified his 17-year-old son as the person who died after a crash involving a “motorized bike” and a vehicle in South Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. His 14-year-old son, who was also on the motorbike, was injured.
The crash was reported around 12:43 p.m. in the area of 254 W. 92nd Street, in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood of South L.A., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
LAFD initially said a car collided with a scoter. Later, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Stacy Spell described the smaller vehicle as a “motorized bike” or small motorcycle.
One person was declared dead on the scene, while a second individual sustained undetermined injuries, the Fire Department said.
Spell described the two as juveniles, but did not have their precise ages.
While authorities have not released the victims’ names yet, a man who identified himself as their father said the one who died was his 17-year-old son Jaylen McFrazier; the other person injured was his 14-year-old son.
Myron McFrazier told KTLA he saw the motorbike pass him before the deadly crash.
“I was coming down Broadway, and I see a mini-bike pass me by, which I didn’t – it was going so fast I didn’t know that was my son and one of his friends,” he said.
Some people tried to help the teens in the aftermath of the crash, including one woman who described the severity of his injuries.
“His head was open, he had a big bump on his eye and then I was trying to feel for a pulse, cause I am taking classes for nursing, so I was trying to see what I can do,” said Jennifer Valdovinos. “And there was no – there was no movement and we called the paramedics.”
The driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with the scene, said Spell, noting the individual was “very shaken up” over the incident.
It was unclear who was at fault in the crash, he added. The crash remains under investigation.
Spell said the type of motorized bike involved in the crash can’t legally be used on the streets, and he warned of the dangers of riding them in roads or on sidewalks.
“They’re not intended to be on the roadway, so we just want parents and motorists to understand that they’re good for private areas, but there is increased risk if they have those on an actual roadway,” he said.
McFrazier also told KTLA that had he known his sons were on the bike when it passed him, he would’ve asked them to get off.
“They are very dangerous. As you can see, I just – now I just got to bury my son,” he said.
