Teen on bicycle seriously injured in Palm Harbor crash

A 16-year-old bicyclist was seriously injured Monday evening after he was struck by a Jeep as he crossed Omaha Street at Country Woods Lane in Palm Harbor.

The driver of the Jeep didn’t stop, though Pinellas sheriff’s investigators said witnesses told them that the driver may not have realized they had hit someone. Deputies are searching for the driver.

Investigators say Ibrahim Paul of Palm Harbor was heading east on his bike just before 6 p.m. when the collision occurred. The teen, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, was taken by helicopter to St. Joseph’s Hospital with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Witnesses told police that a black Jeep Wrangler with a dark-colored soft-top did not maneuver out of the teen’s path, and added that the driver may not have realized they were involved in a crash.

The teen was not in a crosswalk at the time of the crash, police said. According to a news release, no lights were on the bike at the time of the accident.

Deputies said they do not believe speed or impairment were factors in the collision.

The investigation is ongoing. Deputies are asking anyone with information to contact the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at (727) 582-6200.