DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A pre-teen boy is in stable condition after being hit by a car while riding an e-bike in Dearborn Heights, marking the second crash involving children and e-bikes in the city in two days.
The most recent crash happened Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. outside the city library, located near Dearborn Heights City Hall.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
Dearborn Heights Police Chief Michael Guzowski said the boy was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
"He was transported to Children's Hospital. He was treated for some injuries. I believe it was a broken femur and a head laceration," Guzowski said.
The first crash occurred near Van Houten Park. Both incidents involved children on e-bikes colliding with cars.
Guzowski urged parents to understand the risks, noting how fast the bikes can accelerate. He also encouraged parents to talk to their children about wearing helmets and obeying traffic laws. The young boy hurt on Tuesday was not wearing a helmet.
"Being able to control these things (e-bikes), especially when you're a kid and you're not fully developed in your coordination, it can really be an issue," Guzowski said.
Dearborn Heights resident Kimberly Saba said she has noticed more electric bikes on the streets with the warmer weather. Some of the bikes can exceed 20 mph.
"Every time I'm out, I see several of them, maybe three to four," Saba said. "They're speeding. Sometimes, they're speeding by me on a side street."
"I would say to educate your kids on how to ride these safely, where to ride them. We see them sometimes in the left turn lane driving down the road, which is illegal for cars to do, right?"
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun is working with the city's legal department to enforce an age limit law of 16 years old for some e-bikes.
"We want to see kids in the neighborhood, we want to see them at the park, we want to see them having fun and enjoying our community, but we want to see them do it safely," Guzowski said.
"They’re so young. They have their whole life ahead of them. It's just not worth it," Saba said.
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