Age has nothing to do with maturity, i started out on a 600 sportbike when i was 16. Im still not dead yet 4 years later. granite i did not have the maturity to handle a 600 at 16, and it showed a week later when i had my first highside from being stupid. But seriously all accidents are the luck of the draw weather you walk away or walk into a grave. Every dessision you make is Half chance anyways. he could have got hit following the law riding the dirt on the side of the road. The dessision for him to ride came and went and is over now. I see nothing wrong with a 16 y/o on a 250... there are some 10 year olds that could handle a 250 with ease. (if they could ever get on it to start moving and get there damn leg up high enough) But IMHO The bike a child gets should directly relate to his (hers) maturity level. But then again in the end it does not matter, had the boy been on a 125 he would have still made that fatal dessison to blow the red and get creamed.