Fitchburg, Massachusetts - Two Sent to Hospital,
Accident Reconstruction Helping Investigation
Fitchburg Police confirmed Perez, collided with the SUV while driving his bike on Thursday at the intersection of St. Bernard and Boutelle streets. Perez died from his injuries early Saturday morning at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. "With the deepest regrets, the Fitchburg Police Department announces the passing of a 17-year-old city resident," police Capt. Harry Hess said in a department statement.
The driver of the vehicle was taken to the hospital with injuries. The teen, according to first responders, suffered head and chest injuries. The incident remains under investigation by the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council accident reconstruction unit and the Fitchburg Police.
In Facebook posts, friends and family remembered his sense of humor and outgoing personality. "He always made people laugh and he always smiled," Luis Maldonado wrote in a Facebook post tagging Perez. "One of the happiest people I knew."
Fitchburg is about 47 miles northwest of Boston, Massachusetts.