A 19-year-old teen remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) after she fell off of a rented Lime e-scooter.
RCMP said the accident happened just before midnight on Friday in the 1600 block of Gordon Drive, but the circumstances that led to the fall are still being investigated.
“We’re still doing the investigation but she did fall off the scooter and right now she’s in the hospital,” said Const. Mike Della-Paolera. “We are just working towards figuring out what took place to cause this accident to happen.”
It’s not known if the Kelowna teen was wearing a helmet at the time.
“That’s part of the investigation,” Della-Paolera told Global News.
While the scooters are all equipped with helmets, all too often riders are seen not wearing them, despite it being mandatory.
“I didn’t know it was mandatory,” said e-scooter rider Alannah Bleik.
Her sister Rayna Bleik said she assumed wearing a helmet was a personal choice.
“We’ve seen other people ride around without the helmets so I just assumed it’s like an option, ” said Rayna Bleik.
Lime E-scooters and E-bikes launched in Kelowna back in 2021.
In a statement to Global News, the company said, “We are deeply saddened by this incident, and we wish the rider a speedy recovery. It’s important to emphasize that such occurrences are exceedingly rare, with 99.98% of our rides worldwide concluding without any reported incidents.”
The email went on to say, “Our commitment to safety remains unwavering, and we will continue communicating with our riders nonstop to encourage safe riding, helmet wearing, and proper parking in Kelowna.”
Kelowna RCMP confirmed they have 109 files involving e-scooter incidents since July 1 of this year alone.
The incidents involve crashes, erratic riding and operating the scooter under the influence.
“We do see it time and time again people doubling, people riding them at high rates of speed, weaving in and out of traffic, riding them without helmets,” Della-Paolera said.
“These are all dangerous activities that (put) people’s lives in danger. not only the people riding them, but the people walking down the sidewalks and crossing the streets.”
RCMP aren’t the only ones concerned. So are doctors.
Dr. Jeff Eppler is a doctor in the emergency department at KGH.
Eppler told Global News that he and his colleagues see scooter-related injuries in the ER on a regular basis, adding he’s been worried that it was just a matter of time before a tragic case occurred.
Eppler said he believes the lack of helmet use and alcohol consumption are the two big risk factors for death or a potentially life-altering injury.
“It’s a dangerous way to ride your bike or your e-scooter,” Della-Paolera said. “These e-scooters are like any other vehicle on the road. You’re not supposed to be consuming any kind of narcotics or alcohol while you’re using them. You are subject to the Motor Vehicle Act … we can charge you with impaired driving.”
