12-year-old boy dies in dirt bike crash at Charlotte intersection, CMPD says

A 12-year-old boy was fatally injured when his dirt bike collided with a pickup truck at an intersection in northwest Charlotte, according to police.

The boy was identified as Mike Malanda and he died at the scene of the crash, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said in a news release.

Investigators say the crash happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at the intersection of Oakdale and Auten roads. The area is near near the Charlotte Water Supply Treatment plant, north of Brookshire Boulevard.

“Officers located an unresponsive male rider in the roadway. On scene, officers located a damaged dirt bike and a damaged Ford truck,” CMPD said.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that Malanda was riding a dirt bike on the road when he was struck by the Ford truck.”

Lake Norman Charter School in Huntersville reports the boy was a rising seventh grade student.

“Affectionately known as ‘Big Mike,’ he will be remembered by his classmates, friends and teachers for his larger than life personality, playful nature and kind soul,” the school wrote in a June 9 Facebook post.

“The LNC community joins Mike’s family in grieving this profound loss. We will share funeral arrangements with our community once they become known. Our middle school counseling team is available to provide support to our students.”

CMPD is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash and did not report any charges have been filed.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact CMPD at (704) 432-2169, Ext. 1. Anonymous tips can be offered through Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 and reference case 20250608-1306-02.

This story was originally published June 10, 2025 at 4:52 AM.