A weekend ride at a popular Northwest Indiana BMX hub ended in tragedy when 13-year-old Oliver Ball-Reed of Hebron, Indiana, died after suffering critical injuries at the Steel Wheels BMX indoor track in Hobart on Saturday. He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center in Hobart, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 10 p.m., and the sudden loss has rocked the local BMX community.
Coroner's Findings
The Lake County Coroner's Office ruled Ball-Reed's death an accident and listed the cause as "multiple blunt force injuries," according to NBC Chicago. Hobart police, Hobart firefighters, and the Portage Fire Department all responded to the crash.
Emergency responders were dispatched late Saturday after Ball-Reed was transported from the track to St. Mary's Medical Center, where an emergency-room doctor pronounced him dead just before 10 p.m., CBS News reported. The coroner's office was called to the hospital shortly afterward.
Track Statement and Community Response
Steel Wheels BMX said in a Facebook post that the organization was "gutted" by Ball-Reed's death and offered condolences to his parents, Mary and Phil, and his younger brother Ellis, according to ABC7 Chicago. The club said it has been in contact with the family and asked the public to respect their privacy while they grieve.
About Steel Wheels BMX
Steel Wheels BMX is a volunteer, non-profit group that operates two USABMX-sanctioned tracks, an indoor facility in Hobart and the Imagination Glen outdoor track in Portage, according to the track's USA BMX listing. The Hobart indoor site is commonly listed at 709 N Hobart Road on event pages.
Officials have not released details about what specifically caused Ball-Reed's injuries, and police have given no timetable for a public update, NBC Chicago noted. Investigators and local authorities have not said whether they will share additional information publicly as the inquiry continues.
The BMX community has rallied around the family both online and at local tracks, and Steel Wheels said it will support Ball-Reed's relatives in the coming days, CBS News reported. As of Monday, no memorial plans had been announced publicly.
