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Teen killed in e-scooter crash Monday remembered as unselfish, kind soul
Alex Blacio, 17, was killed in a crash Monday with a semi-truck while he was riding an e-scooter. He was just about to start his senior year of high school. FOX Chicago's Bret Buganski spoke with his parents earlier today.
CHICAGO - A teenager from Lake View High School died in a crash while riding an e-scooter.
What we know:
The family of Alex Blacio tells Fox Chicago their son was on his way home from work Monday afternoon, and was weeks away from his 17th birthday.
Chicago police said Blacio was riding a Lime e-scooter Monday afternoon near Western Avenue and Belle Plaine Avenue in the North Center neighborhood when he lost control and collided with a semi-truck. CPD said he was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Blacio had recently started his first job at Altitude and was riding home when the crash happened. His family said he was only about 10 to 15 minutes from their Albany Park home.
Police continue to investigate what led to the collision.
Chicago Public Schools confirmed Blacio's death in a letter sent to Lake View High School families.
"It is with deep sadness that we inform you about a recent loss to our school community," Principal Paul Karafiol wrote. "On Aug. 3, 2026, Alex Blacio, one of our seniors, passed away in a traffic accident."
The district said crisis counselors would be available before school begins and additional mental health support will remain available during the first week of classes.
"He had one of the nicest, kindest souls"
What they're saying:
Alex's family says he wasn't defined by how he died, but by how he lived.
"He had one of the nicest, kindest souls that could ever exist," his sister, Andrea Blacio, told Fox Chicago. "He wasn't selfish at all. He thought about everybody else. He was an amazing brother to all of us, an amazing son."
Family members described Alex as deeply devoted to his faith, his friends and his family.
He had just started his first job and was excited to begin his senior year at Lake View High School, where he served as captain of the Wildcats volleyball team.
His family said he planned to attend college, study accounting and eventually work at a bank, a dream inspired by his love of mathematics.
"He was really good at mathematics," one of his sisters said while translating for their parents. "He always wanted to work in a bank."
"He was everything to me"
Alex's girlfriend, Aleksandra Nedic Estrada, said the teenager was much more than her boyfriend.
"Alex was a boyfriend to me, but more than that, he was a best friend," she said. "He was everything to me. I hate that this is the way that things happened."
She described him as someone who loved making people smile and always put others before himself.
"He deserves so much more," she said. "He loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved me."
A mother's heartbreak
Dig deeper:
Speaking through tears in Spanish, Alex's mother remembered the bond she shared with her only son.
"My son was loving and caring," said Maria Mizhquiri through a family translation. "He loved me so very much. He always told me I was his pride and joy, and I always told him he was mine."
"I still can't accept that my little one isn't with me."
His father said the outpouring of support from classmates, teammates and neighbors has helped remind the family how many lives Alex touched.
Hundreds gathered outside the family's home during a candlelight vigil.
"So many young people came and spoke so well of him," said Herman Blacio, through a family translation. "He planted friendship and love in so many hearts."
The family says they are continuing nine days of prayer services before Alex's funeral, which they hope to hold next week. They have also created a GoFundMe to help pay funeral expenses.
While grieving, the family is urging people not to speculate about what happened.
"We can't confirm anything because everything is still under investigation," said Andrea Blacio. "We're just asking everybody to be kind and sympathetic. At the end of the day, we lost our sibling. They lost their son."
Calls for statewide e-scooter regulations
Alex's death is the latest in a series of fatal crashes involving teenagers riding e-scooters in Illinois.
State Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, told Fox Chicago, the recent deaths demonstrate why lawmakers approved bipartisan legislation regulating high-powered e-scooters and e-bikes.
"It was really all of my constituents, my mayors, my local officials, my chiefs of police," Hills said. "Everybody was coming to me saying they were concerned about these high-powered e-bikes and e-scooters that were going down their roads at up to 50 miles an hour."
Hills said police departments have struggled because many of the fastest electric scooters are not clearly regulated under Illinois law.
"The police don't know how to police that because they're not covered under the Illinois Vehicle Code," she said. "They need to be regulated."
The legislation would establish statewide rules for motor-driven cycles capable of traveling faster than 28 mph or producing more than 750 watts of power. It would also give law enforcement clearer authority to stop unsafe riders and create more consistent regulations across Illinois. Hills said she does not support banning rental scooters like Lime.
"I don't think we need to go as far as banning them," she said. "I think we need to regulate them. We need to make sure that they're safe and that our streets are safe."
She said the bill has already passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is awaiting Governor J.B. Pritzker's signature.
What's next:
CPD continues to investigate exactly what caused the crash that claimed Blacio's life. Meanwhile, his family says their focus is remembering a teenager whose life revolved around faith, family and helping others.