19-year-old dirt-bike rider charged in hit-and-run collision that killed Philly skateboarder

Kevin Rubio is charged in the death of 17-year-old skateboarder Jesus Gomez Rosario, who was severely injured in the collision and died two days later at Temple University Hospital.

Family and friends release balloons last week at a vigil for Jesus Gomez Rosario 17, who died from injuries he suffered when a dirt-bike rider hit him while he was skateboarding in North Philadelphia last weekend here at Front Street and Allegheny Avenue the scene of the crash.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

by Oona Goodin-Smith

Published May 26, 2022, 5:15 p.m. ET

A 19-year-old dirt-bike rider who collided with a teen on a skateboard in North Philadelphia last week was charged Thursday in the hit-and-run incident that left the skateboarder dead and his family seeking answers, police said.

Kevin Rubio, 19, from North Philadelphia, turned himself in to police and was charged with accident involving death, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and related charges for the May 15 collision near the intersection of Allegheny Avenue and Front Street, police said. The skateboarder — 17-year-old Jesus Gomez Rosario — was severely injured and died two days later at Temple University Hospital.

In a news release, police said public assistance and witness interviews in an “extensive investigation” led to the identification of Rubio, who authorities said fled the scene after the crash.

During a news conference last week, Capt. Mark Overwise said Rubio was riding east on Allegheny Avenue near Front Street in the center of the road — popping wheelies and traveling “at a high rate of speed” — when he crashed with “pretty significant impact” into Rosario, who was moving west on Allegheny on his skateboard.

Rosario was a junior at Esperanza Academy Charter School, dreamed of becoming a pilot, and “was a bright young man,” his sister, Maria Luciano, told The Inquirer last week.

He loved skateboarding with friends, playing and performing on his guitar, and spinning tracks with his father on the local Spanish radio station La Unika 1680 AM.

The family held a vigil for Rosario at the scene of the crash last week, and his funeral was this week.

The incident was one of two fatal collisions that occurred last week in the city involving street-illegal vehicles. Last Thursday, 29-year-old Victoria Rose Walker died after her ATV collided with a Kia sedan on the 7900 block of State Road.

Driving ATVs and dirt bikes on streets, sidewalks, and public land — unless specifically stated — is illegal in Philadelphia. After a 2021 crackdown by City Council, use of the vehicles is punishable by a $2,000 fine and confiscation.

Despite that dictate, the city remains home to an active community of off-road vehicle riders who often roar through streets, sometimes popping wheelies and snaking through traffic. Advocates for bike life say the activity can provide recreation and build community in areas with few other outlets, while others have deemed riding the off-road vehicles a dangerous nuisance.