Police said a 16-year-old from Valparaiso died Monday evening after the bicycle he was riding was struck by an SUV on a poorly lit county road in Porter Township.
First responders and an off-duty medic attempted life-saving measures on Mitchell Sterling but he later died from his injuries at an area hospital, according to a release from Sgt. Ben McFalls, public information officer with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies were called around 6:38 p.m. on Nov. 4 to County Road 500 W, north of Indiana 2, for a report of a collision between a 2016 Toyota SUV and a bicycle, according to a release from McFalls.
The SUV was northbound on County Road 500 W and a bicyclist, later identified as Sterling, also was traveling northbound on the county road, police said.
“This area is not well lit and the driver reported they did not observe the bicyclist in the roadway when they collided,” McFalls said.
The driver immediately turned around and found Sterling lying in the roadway, according to the release.
The Porter County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team is investigating.
