A spike in dangerous e-bike behavior from young riders in Southern California seems likely to land not just the children in hot water but also their parents.
There are more than two dozen open investigations into the parents of alleged riders of e-bikes or e-motorcycles, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office confirmed this week to the Orange County Register.
Specifically, those 26 investigations could result in criminal charges after the District Attorney’s Office created a special unit to deal specifically with e-biking violations amid growing outcry from residents.
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E-bikes and e-motorcycles are “the number one reason Orange County children end up in the emergency room,” said county DA Todd Spitzer. “This is a serious public health crisis, and we are doing everything we can to reduce injuries and save lives.”
Over the past year, Orange County has witnessed a string of serious crashes involving these bikes that resulted in life-altering injuries and, in at least one case, a death.
There are already four open prosecutions against parents. One mother, for example, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse and endangerment after her son fatally injured an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran. A father in another case was charged with child abuse and endangerment after his 12-year-old son crashed and was injured.
State law prohibits riders under 16 from operating e-motorcycles, though authorities say children ages 11 to 14 account for the majority of such crashes statewide.
The California Post has documented multiple instances of rogue children or young adults on e-bikes causing chaos across Southern California.
In June, two kids tore through the aisles of an Orange County Walmart on a pair of e-bikes, sparking concern after reportedly weaving through the store and nearly hitting customers.
Cops later that month posted viral dashcam footage of an officer calmly chasing a teen on the loose while teasing the child for disobeying the law.
