MIAMI – A 17-year-old boy appeared in bond court Friday morning, days after he was accused of stealing a car and then crashing it into a motorcycle in Miami, killing the motorcyclist.
Omari Terry faces charges of vehicular homicide, driving without a license causing death and grand theft auto.
He was granted a $17,500 bond and will be placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor if he posts bail.
As part of the conditions of the house arrest, Terry will have a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and is not allowed to drive until he gets a valid driver’s license.
The teen’s lawyer, however, told the judge he cannot afford a bond because his mother is not working due to a medical condition.
Terry turned himself in at the Miami Police Department Thursday morning. He was arrested earlier in the week on the grand theft auto charge, but a warrant was later issued for his arrest on the other charges.
Those charges are related to the death of John Koontz, 34, who died after his motorcyclist was struck by the stolen Kia Soul.
According to police, officers were called to the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 20th Street just after 2 a.m. Tuesday after a crash occurred between a motorcycle and a red Kia Soul.
Sky 10 was above the scene hours later, shortly before 7 a.m., as the red vehicle was rolled over on its side in some nearby bushes.
Police confirmed Terry drove through a red light before colliding into the motorcycle, sending both the car and motorcycle into the bushes.
Koontz was transported by Miami Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead.
“His life was his kids. His life was that,” said Lizanette Koontz, John Koontz’s wife. “He was gonna go to school and start in the fall to start social work. He was a blessing.”
Lizanette Koontz said her husband was out delivering food because he wanted to make extra money to help his family.
“I never expected any of this to happen,” she said. “All this happened because he wanted to make extra money to help.”
According to an arrest report, Terry had told his passenger he was not going to stop for police because the car was stolen and he had just gotten off house arrest.
Koontz’s family has launched a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral costs and ensure financial support for his children’s future.
Click here if you would like to contribute.