12-year-old on e-scooter hospitalized after being hit by car in Matthews, police say

MATTHEWS, N.C. (WBTV) - A 12-year-old was hit by a car while riding an e-scooter in Matthews this weekend, according to police.

The crash happened on Sunday at McKee Road and Siskey Parkway; the child was taken to the hospital, and no charges have been filed.

Officers said the incident should serve as a warning to parents.

The town passed a regulation ordinance in September, and police have started trying to educate neighbors about the penalties if their children break the rules.

Neighbors said it’s a growing problem, and something needs to be done before another child gets hurt.

“I mean, it’s terrible. Honestly, though, I thought it was only a matter of time,” said Ariel Lecroy, who lives near the scene of the crash.

“It’s too dangerous. It’s too dangerous,” said Maria Chavez.

Neighbors in Matthews said they’re becoming an all-too-common sight.

“The scooters for sure and the bikes, especially the bikes on the roads,” Lecroy said. “So I’ve seen a lot of the people on their bikes like cutting off the sidewalk into the road to get around traffic, and just kids being kids normally.”

E-bikes and e-scooters on the streets and sidewalks being ridden by children.

“It’s scary, and it’s tragic because you don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” said Officer Tim Aycock with Matthews P.D. “With a child involved, it amps it up that much more for our emotions and our fear and our concerns.”

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Matthews Police said those fears became a reality when a 12-year-old on an e-scooter was hit at the busy intersection of Siskey Parkway and McKee Road.

“In this Plaza there’ll be like a group of like four or five of them that kind of like ride together, do wheelies up and down the like the little roads,” Lecroy said. “They’re dangerous, and I mean they’re not like traditional bikes; they probably shouldn’t be for kids.”

In September, the town passed ordinances to regulate e-bike and e-scooter use, but police say they’re still seeing people break the rules.

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“There’s a certain wattage, and then if it goes over a certain miles per hour, then it could be considered an e-moto, and then it actually could be where it would need to be licensed to be on the street as a motorcycle,” Officer Aycock explains. “We think the parents are, it’s not that they’re purposely making decision to buy their kid e-moto, but they may not know and they may not understand that the significance of that.”

“I have seen the cops out here a few times trying to talk to the kids, but again, too, they’re having to chase them down and the cops not going to get in a cop car and chase them down,” Lecroy said.

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Officer Aycock said if the problems persist, it won’t be fun and games anymore.

“At some point it could be certain monetary fines, and then at some point it could be a charge for the parent themselves,” he said.

“You want your kid to have things to do after school and to be with friends and things like that, but not at the cost of their life, not at the cost of something dangerous,” Lecroy said.

As of the publication of this article, we do not have an update on the child’s condition.