A dirt bike crash in Baltimore’s Poppleton neighborhood left one person dead Thursday, police said.
The crash occurred around 8:57 p.m. on July Fourth, when a 25-year-old man was riding a dirt bike in the 900 block of West Lexington Street, Baltimore Police said in a news release.
According to police, speed was a factor when the rider collided with a moving Dodge Charger.
The car’s driver remained at the location while an unidentified person removed the victim’s dirt bike from the scene prior to when police arrived, the department said.
The victim was transported to an area hospital, where he later died.
The crash is still under investigation by the police department’s Crash Team, according to police.
Riding dirt bikes is illegal in the city, but they can commonly be seen whizzing through the streets and have become a focal point for some Baltimore officials.
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In April, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates and Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley announced efforts to reduce illegal dirt bike activity in the city.
The strategy includes fines ranging from $250 to $1,000 for businesses that store dirt bikes or supply gas to their riders, as well as penalties for parents and legal guardians of youth riders.
Parental accountability — outlined in an April news release from the state’s attorney’s office — is part of Bates’ dirt bike enforcement effort. Parents and guardians can be fined up to $1,000 for knowingly permitting their minors to ride or store dirt bikes in the city.
From 2019 to 2023, police seized 673 dirt bikes in the city, the department said. As of April 23, police had seized 29 bikes and ATVs this year.
Bates’ enforcement measures stem from what he said is safety for residents and riders.
“Illegal dirt bike riding endangers pedestrians, drivers and the riders themselves,” said Bates in the news release. “It’s imperative that we crack down on every individual enabling illegal dirt bike riding to persist in our city.”
B-360, a group that aims to attract students to science, technology, engineering and math through dirt bike culture, was praised by Bates in the new release for providing riders safe, beneficial alternatives and opportunities.
