A 42-year-old Rochester Hills man was seriously injured Tuesday morning after the electric motorcycle he was riding collided with a pickup truck near West Avon Road and Old Perch Road. The rider was not wearing a helmet, and he remains in stable condition with serious injuries at a local hospital as investigators try to sort out exactly how the crash unfolded.
According to the MLive, the crash happened around 7:25 a.m. when a 2009 Ford Ranger traveling east on Avon Road struck the man's electric motorcycle. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says the rider had initially entered the roadway via the crosswalk but then continued outside of it, and deputies believe he had been riding on the sidewalk before crossing Avon Road. A witness reported that the Ford entered the intersection against a red traffic signal, and the vehicle ultimately ended up blocking the crosswalk. The truck was driven by a 20-year-old Lake Orion man. The rider was taken to Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, and the crash remains under investigation.
A Pattern of E-Moto Crashes in Rochester Hills
This is not the city's first brush with a high-speed electric motorcycle crash this year. Just five weeks earlier, on August 6, a 12-year-old child in Rochester Hills was seriously injured after crashing an unregistered, high-powered electric motorcycle capable of 45 mph into a parked pickup truck at Dorfield Drive and Briston Drive, according to Oakland County 115. Hoodline previously reported on that crash, which raised similar questions about registration, licensing and where these vehicles are legally allowed to operate.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has been increasingly vocal about the issue, saying that e-bike and e-moto crashes and dangerous situations are increasing across the county. He has called for legislative guardrails governing who, how, and where these vehicles can be operated, and for disclosure requirements so buyers understand the rules before they take one home.
Confusion Between E-Bikes and High-Powered E-Motos
Part of the problem, Bouchard has explained, is that people sell kits designed to make an e-moto appear to be an e-bike, according to the Clarkston News. That marketing confusion matters because the two vehicle types are treated very differently under Michigan law. Under Michigan Vehicle Code Section 257.13e, a legal electric bicycle must have fully operable pedals and a motor capped at 750 watts, with assisted speeds limited to 20 to 28 mph; anything faster is legally classified as a motor vehicle requiring registration, licensing, insurance and standard equipment.
Michigan law also requires crash helmets for e-moto riders under age 21 and for Class 3 e-bike riders under 18, while bicycle sidewalk riding may be locally restricted, per the Michigan Legislature.
Local and State Lawmakers Move to Close Gaps
Municipalities across Oakland County have started responding on their own. On September 14, the Bloomfield Township Board enacted a six-month moratorium banning e-bikes and e-scooters from sidewalks and township property for anyone under 16, following a critical crash involving young riders, according to FOX 2 Detroit. Hoodline has also covered a connected case involving two Bloomfield Hills boys hurt crossing Telegraph on an e-bike earlier this month.
The article also discusses local e-bike and e-moto issues, including a Hoodline report.
At the state level, Rep. Phil Skaggs introduced House Bill 6166 on July 3, 2026, to establish a proposed restricted license for riders under 18, issuable beginning at age 15, according to WTVB.
A Growing National Injury Problem
The stakes behind these local and state efforts are backed by national injury data. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report has discussed national micromobility injury data. The article also discusses head and brain injuries in connection with e-bike and e-moto crashes. Standard bicycle helmets are certified for speeds up to 20 mph.
The category of crash has been difficult to track. For now, the Rochester Hills crash remains under investigation as deputies continue piecing together how the rider ended up outside the crosswalk and whether the Ford Ranger ran the red light as a witness reported.
