MELISSA MONTOYA

MMONTOYA@NEWS-PRESS.COM

A memorial on Kismet Parkway still stands for Austin Dukette, the 15-year-old boy who died when a Lee County deputy struck him with his vehicle.

Flowers grace a white bike, and stuffed animals have been left behind to honor Dukette.

After a two-month-long investigation, Cape Coral police announced sheriff's Deputy Douglas E. Hood was at fault in the crash that killed the Cape Coral teen. Hood was cited for careless driving. According to a Cape police statement, this concludes the investigation.

Investigators found the computer in the patrol car was a factor in the crash in addition to environmental factors and the dark clothing Dukette was wearing. According to the original crash report, Hood was driving 50 mph in a 45 mph zone.

The crash occurred early morning on Aug. 22 as Dukette was biking to school. The rear tire of Dukette's bike was struck by Hood's car on Kismet Parkway near northwest 7th Avenue. Dukette died in a Tampa area hospital a day later.

Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott told our partner WINK News that Hood appeared to be on the computer around the time of the crash. However, Scott added, he doesn't know if Hood was on the computer when he hit Dukette.

"Everything that could go wrong that morning did go wrong and a young life was lost," Scott said to WINK News. "I don't have the words to express the level of my sympathy and regret, I really don't."

A knock at the Dukette home went unanswered Friday evening, but a message scrawled onto a yellow flower left behind at Dukette's memorial stood out.

"My Austin — you'll always be my sweet one. Love always + forever, mommy,"