Police: Charges unlikely in death of Bucks teen

The death of a 14-year-old Bucks County boy, hit by a car on a busy Doylestown Township road Saturday night, was "a tragic accident" that probably won't warrant criminal charges, police said Monday.

Steven Kim, a quarterback on Central Bucks High School West's freshman football team, was hit as he attempted to cross Easton Road with two friends on skateboards around 10:45 p.m., Police Chief Dean Logan said.

The driver of the 2004 Mercury Sable, 47-year-old Patricia Norris of Philadelphia, didn't see the boy until "the last second," Logan said. She then stopped at the scene, waited for emergency responders, and cooperated.

Investigators are still awaiting toxicology test results, but do not believe that speed, alcohol, or drugs played a role, the chief said.

"This was a tragic accident where a couple of boys tried to cross the highway at the wrong time of the day," Logan said.

Kim was taken by ambulance to Doylestown Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

He was a ninth grader at Lenape Middle School, whose students play football with Central Bucks West.

"The entire program is in mourning right now," said Chas Cathers, Central Bucks West's head football coach. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Kim family. We're going to do whatever we can as a team to help them get through this."

Students at the middle and high schools were set to hold a vigil at the football stadium on Monday afternoon, said Central Bucks School District Superintendent David Weitzel.

"Our community is diminished by Steven's death," wrote Lenape principal Timothy Donovan in a letter to parents.

School counselors were available to assist students, he said.

Relatives set up a page to raise money for the funeral and medical expenses at gofundme.com/stevenkim. It had raised nearly $17,000 by Monday evening.

jmcdaniel@philly.com

610-313-8205@McDanielJustine

Staff writers Suzette Parmley and Rick O'Brien contributed to this article.