Mother blamed a car after her son on a bike was hit by it. But commenters slowed down the viral footage and found him running a red light

A mother is facing significant online backlash after claiming a driver was responsible for a collision involving her son, despite video evidence showing the boy running a red light on his bicycle, Daily Dot reported. The incident, which was captured on camera and later shared on X by the user @ArtThePatriot_, has ignited a heated debate about traffic laws and parental accountability.

The video displays two boys riding their bikes through traffic at a high speed. They were clearly having fun, as they were performing wheelies while being filmed. You can hear the woman recording the video screaming when the first boy narrowly avoids a collision with a car.

The situation turned much worse just a few seconds later. The second boy, who was riding slightly behind his friend, didn’t escape the path of the vehicle. He ran a red light and was struck by a car coming from his left. The driver slammed on the brakes as soon as the contact happened, bringing the car to a screeching halt.

The footage shows the boys performing stunts on a public road right before the accident occurred

It’s actually quite lucky that the boy rolled forward and away from the vehicle during the impact. While his bike clearly took some damage, he managed to move out of the path of the car. We couldn’t know the full extent of his injuries or the aftermath because the video cuts off abruptly after the crash. There is no official information regarding the boy’s status, whether he required medical attention, or if the police were ever involved in the matter.

The controversy really started when the mother took to social media to blame the driver for the accident. She firmly believes the driver is at fault for hitting her son, but the internet had other ideas after people started dissecting the footage frame by frame. Many users on X took screenshots of the traffic light in the background, which clearly shows a red signal as the boys entered the intersection.

The reaction was swift and critical, with many people pointing out that bicyclists are legally required to follow the same traffic rules as cars. One user stated, “The light was red, and he ran it. His mom should pay for the damage to the car.” Another person added, “Kids ran the red light, clear as day. Bicycles are considered vehicles and must obey traffic laws.”

Of course, not everyone agrees that the boys are entirely to blame. Some people came to the mother’s defense, arguing that drivers still have a responsibility to be vigilant, regardless of the behavior of others on the road. One commenter noted, “Err…The boy was in the green lane. The driver should have been more vigilant. I’d fault the driver for not looking before he went.” Another individual echoed this sentiment, saying, “She’s correct as the driver pulled into him even if the kid was acting irresponsibly.”