A 12-year-old bicyclist died after a pickup accidentally ran over him in Oceanside early Thursday morning, police said.

A driver in his 60s was making a left hand turn onto South Coast Highway from the Oceanside RV Park when he heard a thump about 7 a.m., Oceanside police Lt. Leonard Cosby said.

The motorist made a U-turn back into the park, got out of his white Dodge Ram 3500 and found the child lodged under his rear tire, Cosby said. A black bicycle was nearby.

Nearby drivers helped guide the man’s pickup off the boy, the lieutenant said. He was flown to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.


Investigators suspect the boy was headed the wrong way in a bike lane when the crash happened. They have not located any witnesses who saw where the child was before the collision, Cosby said.

The victim was likely on his way to school. He attended Lincoln Middle School on California Street.