A tragic incident in Port Huron has once again thrown the spotlight on the risks associated with electric bicycles, particularly among the youth, after a 15-year-old girl was killed in a collision with a motorcycle Monday night. CBS News Detroit reports the accident occurred in the 2800 block of Electric Avenue at approximately 10 p.m., where preliminary findings by the Port Huron Police Department suggest the teen was traveling the wrong way on her electric bike.
Despite efforts by emergency services to save the young girl, she succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital, as detailed by The Detroit News. The motorcycle operator involved in the fatal crash stayed at the scene and is lending full cooperation to the ongoing investigation; as regional authorities have noted an alarming trend in traffic incidents involving younger riders on bicycles and similar vehicles just last week, 17 individuals died on Michigan's roadways with the year's toll reaching 515 fatalities and 2,830 others seriously injured according to Michigan State Police.
Highlighting the danger of such incidents, FOX 2 Detroit includes insights from Dr. Candice Kimpson of DMC Detroit Receiving, who indicated the increasing number of accidents involving e-scooters and the higher risk of severe injuries when "you are adding the scooter to the mix" which has been "a significant source of trauma in the city"; the speed at which these electric scooters travel, often operated by inexperienced younger individuals, compounds the threat, Kimpson added, "It can be really dangerous for children, those speeds of 15 mph, even though an adult brain can absorb that without necessary long-term effects for a developing brain, it can be catastrophic."
The Port Huron Police Department has not confirmed whether the teenager was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, but this recent accident underscores the concert among safety experts about the lack of protective gear usage with Dr. Kimpson pointing out how frequently "people are not wearing helmets" and that such neglect can lead to severe injuries according to her interview with FOX 2 Detroit.
