LOS ANGELES, CA – Two 14-year-old boys have died after they were critically injured when a silver Lexus struck them while they were riding an e-scooter and an e-motorcycle in Riverside last month, turning an evening collision near an elementary school into a fatal traffic investigation.
The crash happened at about 7:46 p.m. on August 25 at Arlington Avenue and Mitchell Avenue, near Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School. According to the preliminary account released by the Riverside Police Department, the boys were traveling south on Mitchell Avenue and attempting to cross Arlington Avenue when they were struck by a Lexus traveling westbound.
Both teenagers were taken to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital with major injuries and remained in critical condition.
Police later confirmed that Fabian V. Carmona, 14, died on August 30, five days after the crash, while Noe Ramirez-Lopez, 14, died on September 2 from injuries sustained in the collision. The deaths were subsequently confirmed as the investigation continued.
The 88-year-old man driving the Lexus remained at the scene. No arrest had been announced as of the latest available information, and investigators have not publicly assigned criminal responsibility for the collision.
Crash happened near an elementary school
The collision occurred near Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School, located on Mitchell Avenue.
A City of Riverside bicycle-planning document identifies Rosemary Kennedy Elementary as an Alvord Unified School District campus at 6411 Mitchell Avenue, placing the school in the immediate area of the intersection where the crash occurred.
The proximity to a school is relevant to the roadway context, particularly because the collision involved two young teenagers traveling through an intersection in the evening.
It does not, however, establish that the crash occurred during school activity or that the school itself played any role in the collision.
The available police account focuses on the movements of the three vehicles and riders immediately before the impact.
Police say Lexus struck both teenagers
According to the preliminary investigation, the 88-year-old male driver of the silver Lexus was traveling westbound on Arlington Avenue when the vehicle struck the two teenagers near the intersection.
The boys were traveling southbound on Mitchell Avenue and attempting to cross Arlington Avenue.
One teenager was riding an e-scooter, while the other was riding an e-motorcycle, according to police.
The initial investigation did not establish whether drugs or alcohol played a role. Riverside police specifically said those factors were unknown at the time of the initial report.
That remains an important distinction. The fact that the driver was 88 does not by itself establish that age caused or contributed to the crash, and authorities have not publicly attributed the collision to impairment, a medical condition or any other particular factor.
Likewise, the fact that the teenagers were operating electric vehicles does not by itself establish that they violated a traffic law or contributed to the collision.
Those questions remain part of the investigation.
Both teenagers initially suffered critical injuries
The initial response treated the collision as a major-injury crash.
Riverside police and fire personnel responded to the intersection, where they found the two teenagers with serious injuries. Both were transported to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital for treatment.
Their conditions remained critical after the crash.
Fabian Carmona died five days later, on August 30. Noe Ramirez-Lopez died three days after Carmona, on September 2.
The deaths transformed the investigation from a major-injury collision into a fatal crash case, although police have not announced that the Lexus driver was arrested or charged.
The Riverside Police Department’s traffic-collision records information explains that fatal-collision reports are handled directly by the department rather than being made available through its ordinary online third-party report system. The department also notes that collision reports can contain information subject to redaction when criminal proceedings are involved.
Investigation continues after the deaths
The Major Accident Investigation Team, or MAIT, took over the investigation.
That specialized traffic-investigation process is intended to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding serious collisions, including the movements of vehicles and other relevant evidence.
The driver of the Lexus remained at the scene following the collision and was interviewed by investigators. Police did not announce an arrest.
The investigation is therefore not equivalent to a finding that the driver committed a crime.
Authorities still need to determine the sequence of events leading to the impact, including how the Lexus and the two riders entered the intersection, what traffic signals or right-of-way rules applied and whether any additional factors contributed.
Police have not publicly released a final determination on those questions.
California rules distinguish e-scooters from eMotos
The vehicles involved in the crash also raise an important distinction under California law because an e-scooter and an e-motorcycle are not necessarily treated as the same type of vehicle.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles’ guidance on motorcycles, mopeds and scooters defines a motorized scooter as a two-wheeled device with a motor, handlebars and a floorboard on which the rider can stand.
California DMV also states that people operating a motorized scooter must be at least 16 years old and possess a valid driver’s license or permit. Helmets are required.
That rule is noteworthy because both riders in this crash were 14.
However, police identified the vehicle involved as an e-scooter, and the available information does not provide its make, model or technical specifications. Without those details, it would be premature to conclude exactly how the device was classified under California law.
The terminology used by police and the legal classification of a particular vehicle are not necessarily identical.
California’s eMoto rules changed in 2026
The second vehicle was described by police as an e-motorcycle, or e-moto.
California created a specific legal classification for certain off-highway electric motorcycles in 2026.
The California DMV’s 2026 guidance on off-highway electric motorcycles says an eMoto must be designed primarily for off-highway use, have an electric motor, handlebars, a manufacturer-provided straddle seat, two wheels and no pedals.
The DMV classifies qualifying eMotos as off-highway motorcycles, meaning they are subject to OHV identification requirements.
The DMV’s broader off-highway vehicle registration guidance likewise identifies electric motorcycles, or eMotos, as OHVs that generally require a DMV-issued identification plate or placard.
But again, the available police information does not identify the model or specifications of the e-motorcycle involved in the Riverside crash.
That means the article can accurately say the boy was riding what police described as an e-motorcycle, but it should not automatically characterize that specific vehicle as an illegally operated off-highway motorcycle without additional evidence.
The teenagers’ ages are significant to the investigation
Both victims were 14 years old.
Their age is relevant not only because they were minors but also because California has specific operating requirements for different types of motorized two-wheel vehicles.
For example, the DMV says operators of motorized scooters must be at least 16 and have a valid driver’s license or permit.
At the same time, California’s definition of an electric bicycle is different from that of a motorized scooter or eMoto. The legal classification can depend on characteristics such as pedals, motor output, seating configuration and the vehicle’s intended use.
That makes the exact type of electric vehicle involved an important factual question.
The preliminary police release did not state whether either teenager was wearing a helmet, whether the devices had specific safety equipment or whether investigators determined that either rider violated a traffic rule.
Those details should not be inferred from the teenagers’ ages or from the type of vehicles they were riding.
Police have not announced an arrest
The Lexus driver stayed at the crash scene after the collision.
Police have not announced an arrest in connection with the deaths, and the investigation remains open.
The absence of an arrest does not mean investigators have ruled out future enforcement action. Traffic-fatality investigations can take time because detectives may need to examine physical evidence, vehicle damage, roadway conditions, witness accounts and other information before determining whether a violation occurred.
The Riverside Police Department’s official contact information identifies its Traffic Bureau resources and provides the department’s contact channels for information related to police investigations.
Investigators previously asked anyone who witnessed the crash or had information about what happened to contact Traffic Detective Matt Parrish at 951-353-7177.
A fatal collision at a busy intersection
The crash occurred at Arlington Avenue and Mitchell Avenue, an intersection surrounded by residential areas and near an elementary school.
The city has previously included the surrounding area in its transportation and bicycle-planning documents. Riverside’s Bicycle Master Plan includes Rosemary Kennedy Elementary and other local schools in its assessment of existing bicycle infrastructure and school locations.
That broader planning context does not establish that the intersection itself was unsafe or that roadway design caused the August crash.
It does show, however, that the area is part of a transportation network used by pedestrians, bicyclists, students and motorists.
When a collision involves vulnerable road users and a passenger vehicle, determining exactly how each participant entered the intersection becomes especially important.
What investigators still need to establish
Several questions remain unanswered.
Authorities have not publicly determined whether the Lexus driver had a green light, whether the teenagers had a traffic signal allowing them to cross, or whether either party entered the intersection against a signal.
Police also have not said whether speed was a factor or whether the Lexus driver had any impairment or medical issue.
The preliminary investigation specifically said it was unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors.
Those details matter because the deaths alone do not establish criminal liability.
A fatal crash can result from a range of circumstances, and investigators must establish the evidence before prosecutors can determine whether criminal charges are appropriate.
For now, authorities have not publicly announced such charges.
Two families are now dealing with the deaths
Fabian Carmona and Noe Ramirez-Lopez were both 14 when they died from injuries sustained in the August 25 collision.
Carmona died August 30, while Ramirez-Lopez died September 2 after both had initially been hospitalized in critical condition.
The crash therefore unfolded over several days rather than ending at the intersection on the night of August 25. Emergency crews initially treated the teenagers for life-threatening injuries, followed by hospital care and ultimately two deaths.
For investigators, the later deaths also mean that the full consequences of the collision must be incorporated into the traffic investigation.
As of the latest available information, the case remains open, no arrest has been announced, and police continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The confirmed facts are that two 14-year-old boys were struck while riding an e-scooter and an e-motorcycle at Arlington Avenue and Mitchell Avenue on August 25, both suffered critical injuries, and both later died. The Riverside Police Department continues investigating how the collision occurred and whether any traffic or criminal violations contributed to the deaths.
