Police in Washington Township, New Jersey, are warning residents to be aware of the dangers associated with e-bikes after a teen was hurt in a crash in the township on Monday afternoon.
In a statement posted to social media Chief Patrick Gurcsik of the Washington Township Police Department said that the incident happened at about 4:23 p.m. along Ganttown Road on Monday.
In this incident, he said, a 15-year-old boy suffered broken wrists after a crash involving a 60V Talaria Sting MXR3 E-motorcycle and an Acura RL.
Officers responding to the scene found the teen’s helmet about 75 feet away in the roadway and, according to police, he told first responders that the e-bike crashed into the rear of the car after bright sun obscured his view.
The driver of the Acura, police said, immediately stopped to render aid after the crash.
In a statement, Chief Gurcsik said that e-bikes are a “growing safety concern in Washington Township.”
“They may look like fun recreational devices, but many can reach motorcycle-level speeds (50MPH) and are extremely dangerous when operated by juveniles on busy roads,” he wrote in a statement online.
He noted another recent crash that happened when a 13-year-old was hurt in a crash involving an e-scooter that happened on Egg Harbor Road.
“Washington Township officers investigate nearly 2,000 crashes a year. Our roads are busy, complex, under construction and with distracted drivers,” he wrote in a statement. “High speed devices operated by children in these conditions create dangerous and unpredictable situations.”
He said that parents should be aware of these concerns as the holidays approach and that the state may have new guidance on e-bike and e-scooter regulations come January.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
