I was walking across Olive Street at Canon Perdido around 5:40 p.m. on Friday, July 17. There was a pickup coming down Olive who was stopped to let me walk across the street. Then out of nowhere came a fast e-bike and all I heard was “oh no.” I was leveled to the ground by the man on the bike who did not stop at the stop sign and was not wearing a helmet.
I went down hard and fortunately did not break anything, but I had a huge lump on my head and was badly bruised. The man stayed and said he was sorry and that he’d pay. I got his “license” in case I needed to follow up.
Sorry or not, this should not be happening in our city. And it continues to happen because there are no laws against riding recklessly on an e-bike. I called the police and the dispatcher who called back told me hitting someone with an e-bike is not a criminal act and that I could not enter a police report. I ask what it will take for the city to do something? Does someone have to die before the city takes notice?
I am not against e-bikes, but everyone who wants an e-bike should have to take a course, pass, and then get a license to operate the bike. Especially young people who do not drive and do not know the rules of the road or don’t obey them. I was fortunate, the next person this man (he is 27) hits may not be.
I also want to thank the kind people who jumped out of their cars to help me out of the middle of the road. Cara and Demitri were wonderful, and Demitri even gave me a ride home.
