ORLANDO, Fla. — On August 11, the first day of school, 14-year-old Hunter Linford was excited. He was headed to his private school in Deltona on his e-bike, looking forward to seeing friends and starting a new year. He never made it to class.
Instead, Hunter’s life changed in a split second when a driver failed to see him at a crosswalk on Howland Boulevard. The car struck him, pinning him underneath.
Today, Hunter can’t walk. He hasn’t been back to school. But on Wednesday, he rolled into a press conference at the University of Central Florida with his mom, Jodi Lynn, and delivered a powerful message: Wear a helmet. Look out for each other.
According to law enforcement, Hunter was riding on the sidewalk, stopped at a crosswalk, and wearing his helmet… doing everything right.
“I thought it was the safest way to go,” he said. “There’s no bike lane on Howland.”
But the driver didn’t stop.
“She did not see me,” Hunter said. “I was hit, and I was dragged 15 feet.”
Trapped under the car, in excruciating pain, he credits a tow truck driver with lifting the vehicle off him and bystanders who talked him through the trauma.
His injuries were devastating: a liver torn in half, serious foot damage, and head trauma. But one thing made the difference — his helmet.
It’s now crushed, barely recognizable.
“If it wasn’t for my helmet, if it wasn’t for that piece of foam, I would not be here right now,” Hunter said, holding up the damaged gear. “The doctors told me if I wasn’t wearing this, they’d be having a different conversation with my parents.”
Months later, Hunter is still in a wheelchair. He hasn’t returned to school. He misses his friends, his routine, the normal life of a high school freshman.
“My life is not normal right now,” he admitted. “It really pains me. But I know once I’m healed, I can go back and have a normal life again.”
Despite the trauma, Hunter says he still loves biking and hopes to ride again — but with even more caution.
Hunter’s story is now the face of a new statewide safety campaign: “Safe Streets for Small Wheels,” launched by AAA at UCF.
Mark Jenkins with AAA says e-bikes and scooters are growing in popularity but so are the dangers.
“These can go 20 to 30 miles per hour — some up to 60,” Jenkins said. “And there are no national rules for where they should ride, how fast, or even how old you need to be.”
The campaign urges both drivers and riders to stay alert, avoid distractions, and share the road.
“Don’t look at your phone,” Hunter said directly to drivers. “Look both ways. Because the driver who hit me wasn’t looking.”
Hunter’s courage — speaking publicly while still recovering — has turned a personal tragedy into a public warning. His mom, Jodi Lynn, stood by his side, rolling him to the podium, proud of her son’s strength. This isn’t just about e-bikes. It’s about awareness. It’s about responsibility. And for Hunter, it’s about making sure no other kid ends up under a car, wondering what went wrong.
“Please wear a helmet,” Hunter said. “And please be careful. That’s all I really have to say.”
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