14-year-old bicyclist chased on bike path by enraged SUV driver, Florida cops say
A Florida driver became so enraged by a boy on an electric bicycle that she swerved onto a bike trail and began chasing him with her SUV, according to investigators in North Florida.
It happened Saturday, June 7, in Palm Coast, and the 14-year-old escaped with the help of another driver who blocked the pursuing SUV, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported in a June 12 news release.
The 65-year-old driver was arrested and faces “multiple charges,” the sheriff’s office said.
“A 911 call from a man ... reported that a woman in an SUV was driving on the Pine Lakes Path, a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists ... while chasing a juvenile on an e-bike,” the sheriff’s office said.
“The caller told deputies that he had noticed the juvenile attempting to wave down passing cars while the SUV was only 6 to 10 feet behind and chasing him, leading the witness to intervene and block the vehicle.”
Once the SUV was stopped, the boy safely fled the scene, the witness said.
The Pine Lakes Path parallels Pine Lakes Parkway in Palm Coast, and video recorded by the girlfriend of the 911 caller show the SUV was seen pursuing the boy for several blocks.
Information provided by a witness helped identify the vehicle and its driver as Julia Kalthof, of Palm Coast, officials said.
“Kalthof told deputies that the incident occurred because she was angry at the victim for riding his e-bike too fast and wanted to find out where he lived in order to speak to his parents,” officials said.
“The victim told deputies that Kalthof screamed at him, cut him off, and nearly struck him, causing him to fear for his life. The victim also provided deputies with a video showing Kalthof driving aggressively on the Pine Lakes Path behind him.”
The bicyclist, Gaige Ellis, said the SUV cut him off at one point, nearly causing a collision, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.
“I was really scared at that point,” Ellis told the newspaper. “I went around her and got on the bike path and she flipped a U-turn and got on the bike path with me, which really scared me because I was not expecting that.”
Kalthof was arrested on June 10 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and reckless driving and she was given a citation for driving along the multi-use path, officials said. She was released on $3,000 bond.
“This woman caused a dangerous situation ... and could have seriously hurt or killed not just the child she was chasing, but anyone who happened to be walking or biking on that path,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in the release.
“I also want to thank the bystander who stopped a dangerous situation and called 911 so that our deputies could handle it, conduct their investigation, and arrest this driver who clearly needs anger management.”
Florida law allows E-bikes to be used “wherever bicycles are allowed, including streets, highways, roadways, shoulders, bicycle lanes, and bicycle or multi-use paths,” the sheriff’s office said.
Palm Coast is about a 60-mile drive south from Jacksonville.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 11:53 AM with the headline "14-year-old bicyclist chased on bike path by enraged SUV driver, Florida cops say."