MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A 14-year-old boy from Big Pine Key is in custody after a Wednesday evening chase that saw him trading a bike path for a jail cell. The incident went down around 6:50 p.m. on March 4, when a Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy was turning onto Key Deer Boulevard from U.S. 1.
According to officials, the deputy had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting two electric bikes that cut through the intersection.
When the deputy flipped on the lights to pull them over, the pair didn’t stop. Instead, they took off heading south. The pursuit ended shortly after when one of the teens tried to make a break for it through a gravel parking lot, lost his balance, and wiped out.
He was arrested on the spot and hit with a charge of fleeing and eluding. Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the scramble.
Sheriff Rick Ramsay isn’t staying quiet about the trend of motorized bikes on local streets.
“These ebikes are popular, but they remain largely unregulated and can be dangerous,” Ramsay noted following the arrest.
He’s pushing for state lawmakers to step in with clearer safety rules to help police manage the growing number of riders.
For now, the Sheriff’s Office is reminding everyone that these bikes still have to follow the rules of the road, or riders risk fines—or a trip to juvenile hall.
The investigation is still wide open, and authorities say more charges or arrests could be coming as they look for the second rider.
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