Dirt bike driver, 14, in critical condition after minivan strikes him

A 14-year-old boy who was riding a dirt bike is in critical condition after he ran a red light and was struck by a minivan a short time after an Aurora police attempted to perform a traffic stop involving the bike, police officials said.

An officer on patrol just before 11:20 a.m. saw a motorized dirt bike "driving recklessly on neighborhood streets and on the sidewalk," according to a news release from police Thursday afternoon.

"The officer attempted to perform a traffic stop but the teenager failed to stop and fled from the officer. The officer turned off his lights and sirens," the release said.

A short time later, the teen was seen on a city traffic intersection camera riding on the sidewalk near the corner of Farnsworth Avenue at Liberty Street, police said. "The camera captured the teenager disobeying the red traffic light, where a red minivan traveling northbound on Farnsworth struck the teen," the release said.

Paramedics from the Aurora Fire Department requested a medical helicopter and the teen was airlifted in critical condition to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.

"Due to the severity of the teen's injuries, the Aurora Police Department requested the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force to conduct an investigation under the direction of the state of Illinois' Police and Community Relations Improvement Act," the release said.

The Kane County major crimes task force was assisted by Aurora police's traffic division to reconstruct the accident.

"Out of respect for the families of those involved, and to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, the Aurora Police Department will have no further comment on this incident at this time," the release said.