A man is in life-threatening condition after losing control of his e-bike while attempting a wheelie near a busy North Chesterfield intersection Thursday morning, according to Chesterfield County police. The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Forest Hill Avenue and Buford Road, sending the rider over an embankment and into a nearby CVS Pharmacy parking lot.
Police told WTVR CBS 6 News the man was attempting the stunt when he lost control, went over the embankment, and crashed into the lot at the pharmacy, located at 8811 Forest Hill Avenue, according to Virginia Statewide Incidents. He was not wearing a helmet at the time, police said. First responders rushed him to Chippenham Hospital, a 466-bed facility that serves as the region's designated Level I Trauma Center and Level I Burn Center, per HCA Virginia.
Chesterfield County police are still investigating the crash, the station's report notes, and it remains unclear whether the rider will face any charges. Wheelies and stunt riding on public roads can trigger reckless driving citations under Virginia law depending on what investigators find.
What Virginia Law Says About E-Bikes and Helmets
Under Virginia Code § 46.2-904.1, electric power-assisted bicycles carry the same rights and duties as traditional bicycles and require no driver's license, registration, license plate, or insurance, according to the Virginia General Assembly's legal code. The Commonwealth sorts e-bikes into three classes based on speed and motor assistance, and the helmet rules shift depending on which class a bike falls into.
State law mandates helmets for all operators and passengers of Class 3 e-bikes, which assist speeds up to 28 mph, regardless of age — but adult riders on Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes face no such helmet requirement under state law. It is not yet known which class of e-bike was involved in Thursday's crash. Separately, under Virginia Code § 46.2-852, operating any vehicle on a highway recklessly or in a way that endangers life, limb, or property amounts to reckless driving, a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to 12 months in jail and fines as high as $2,500, according to a 50-state survey published by Justia.
A Corridor Already Under Review
The crash happened on a stretch of road that Chesterfield County has already flagged for safety concerns. County officials launched a transportation study in February 2026 covering Buford Road between Huguenot Road and West Pinetta Drive, examining whether to lower posted speed limits and add crosswalks and advanced pedestrian warning signs, according to Chesterfield County.
The crash also lands amid a broader statewide reckoning over e-bike safety. Virginia lawmakers and local leaders began drafting tighter regulations and clearer definitions for high-powered e-bikes this month following a regional spike in crashes and injuries, as reported by WAMU/NPR. Officials cited growing concern over high-speed riding and stunt attempts like the one Chesterfield police described Thursday. Hoodline previously reported that Loudoun County e-bike ER visits jumped from 6 to 122 as lawmakers began eyeing a crackdown.
A Nationwide Surge in E-Bike Injuries
The Chesterfield crash fits into a national pattern. U.S. emergency room visits tied to e-bike injuries hit an estimated 102,777 in 2025, a 71% single-year jump and a 19-fold surge since 2020, according to a Consumer Product Safety Commission database analysis by ERideHero. Head and facial trauma made up 29% of all e-bike emergency department injuries nationwide last year, and CPSC follow-up investigations found only 40% of injured riders were wearing helmets at the time of their crash.
No charges had been announced as of Thursday, and Chesterfield County police continue to investigate the crash.
