Texas officials blame 8-year-old on bike after being killed by SUV driver

On Monday, an 8-year-old was killed when he was hit by a motorist driving an SUV, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The boy was taken to hospital and later died from his injuries.

The driver stayed at the crash site to help with the investigation, but as of Wednesday, no charges have been filed.

Officials are now coming under fire from cycling advocates after they claimed that “the 8-year-old boy was riding his bike in an area that isn’t safe for pedestrians or people riding bikes.”

Bike Houston argued that the victim-shaming was completely off base and took to Twitter to dispute the claim. “Here’s what we know based on reports. A child on a bike attempted to cross a residential street at an intersection. Someone driving a two-ton SUV failed to yield, killing the child. It happened in broad daylight. Texas Department of Public Safety blamed the child.”

Peter Flax pointed out the area in which the child was killed was a quiet residential area.

If you're following the Houston case where Texas DPS officials say an 8-year-old who was killed while riding his bike was in an area that "isn't safe for pedestrians or people riding bikes." Look at where he was killed. Ponder the layers of toxic bias that underlie that statement pic.twitter.com/Dv7kYZa6Ut

— Peter Flax (@Pflax1) September 28, 2022

An investigation into the fatal collison has been launched.