Authorities say an 11-year-old boy who was riding a minibike has been fatally struck by a southern Michigan sheriff's deputy who was heading to the scene of a burglary.
The Calhoun County sheriff's office says the Battle Creek boy was riding when he was hit shortly after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in Battle Creek.
Sheriff Matt Saxton tells WWMT-TV the death is "heartbreaking" and he believes it was accidental. He says the deputy was responding to a burglary in progress in the nearby city of Springfield, but the vehicle didn't have its emergency lights activated at the time of the crash. Saxton says the minibike wasn't illuminated with lights.
The boy's name wasn't immediately released. The deputy wasn't injured. An investigation into the crash is being handled by Michigan State Police.