13-year-old running to meet friend is fatally struck by school vehicle, Florida cops say

A 13-year-old middle school student died after he was struck by a public school maintenance vehicle while crossing the street, according to Florida authorities.

The teenager was riding with his mother on a motorcycle just before 7 a.m. on Sept. 22, according to a statement from the Ocala Police Department. His mother stopped the motorcycle in a center turn lane. The boy saw a friend on a nearby sidewalk, jumped off the bike and tried to cross the street.

As he ran across, he was struck by a Marion County Public Schools maintenance vehicle, which was pulling a trailer and a lawn mower, according to the police department.

He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and later airlifted to a hospital in Gainesville.

The teen died of his injuries later that afternoon, according to police.

He was identified by his school district as Douglas Zazueta, a student at Liberty Middle School in Ocala, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.

“In talking with his teachers and his (fellow) students, we’ve all decided that we’ll miss his infectious smile on our campus,” Melissa Forsyth, principal of Liberty Middle School, told McClatchy News. “He liked to be a jokester with his friends, and he was engaging with teachers.”

Forsyth said that the school district’s crisis team of psychologists and clinicians had been on campus since 7 a.m. on Sept. 23.

“He had a tight knit group of students who definitely needed support,” she said.

His grandmother, Carolyn Placencia, told Fox 35 Orlando that she had nicknamed him “Turtle” when he was a baby.

“He was a good kid,” she told the outlet. “He was my baby. He was my heart.”

Placencia told the outlet that her grandson was stuck under the maintenance vehicle for nearly 10 minutes while they waited for first responders to arrive.

The crash remains under investigation.

This story was originally published September 23, 2022 at 3:29 PM with the headline "13-year-old running to meet friend is fatally struck by school vehicle, Florida cops say."