Balloon release planned for Rico Roundtree, boy killed in Jupiter e-bike crash
JUPITER — A memorial event is being planned Sunday afternoon for a Jupiter Middle School student who died Thursday in an e-bike crash outside a Jupiter neighborhood.
The coaches of Rico Roundtree, who at one point played football for the Royal Palm Beach Wildcats youth team, are among those organizing and promoting the event to celebrate Rico's life.
'In loving memory of Rico Roundtree, join us for a balloon release,' reads a message promoting the event being shared by his coaches on Facebook.
The balloon release will take place 4 p.m. Sunday at Abacoa Community Park, 1501 Frederick Small Road, Jupiter.
Separately, the town of Jupiter is planning a community forum on e-bikes in the wake of Thursday crash, which also injured another boy, Mayor Jim Kuretski said.
'This is a tragedy. … It is gut-wrenching,' Kuretski said Friday, hours after the wreck at South Pennock Lane and Indian Creek Drive. 'Every parent in the community is feeling right now like, 'What if this was my child?''
Coaches and friends interviewed by WPEC-Channel 12 at a makeshift memorial near the crash scene Friday recalled Roundtree as a happy, energetic boy who lifted up others before his life was tragically cut short by the accident.
Police say the e-bike collided with a car near the entrance to the Paseos neighborhood just west of Military Trail.
Investigators have not officially identified Roundtree, named the injured boy and vehicle driver, who sustained minor injuries, or specified what led to the crash, which happened just before 8 p.m.
Police continue investigating but they said it did not appear any criminal charges were likely to result in the case.
'At this time, it does not appear there are any criminal violations regarding the traffic crash,' the department said in a statement on Facebook.
Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Event planned for Rico Roundtree, killed in Jupiter e-bike crash
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