🚨 Serious teen e-motorcycle crash in Washington Township
⭐️ Holiday warning from police as e-bike dangers surge
⚡ New Jersey pushes tougher safety rules for high-speed e-rides

Serious crash highlights dangers of high-speed e-bikes

A 15-year-old boy was seriously injured Monday in Washington Township, Gloucester County, after his high-powered Talaria Sting MXR3 e-motorcycle collided with an Acura RL on Ganttown Road, prompting new urgency around New Jersey’s escalating e-bike safety crisis. The crash left the teen with broken wrists and sent his helmet flying roughly 75 feet down the roadway, according to police. Police say the teen is lucky to be alive.

The incident is the latest in a string of crashes involving juveniles on high-speed e-bikes and e-scooters — devices that can hit 50 mph and are increasingly being ridden on busy suburban roads. Just two weeks earlier, officers investigated an e-scooter crash involving a 13-year-old on Egg Harbor Road.

Washington Township Police Chief Pat Gurcsik urged parents to think twice before buying e-motorcycles or e-bikes as holiday gifts. “These crashes are happening far too often,” he said. “We need the community’s help to prevent a tragedy.”

Rising injuries push lawmakers toward action

Statewide, e-bike injuries and deaths are rising sharply. A 13-year-old boy was killed in Scotch Plains in September, two girls died in Cranford, and a 22-year-old was fatally struck in Orange. Nationally, e-bike injuries have jumped 293% since 2019.

State Senate President Nicholas Scutari has pledged sweeping legislation to reclassify e-bikes by speed, require state registration and insurance, and bar minors under 17 from operating any model capable of exceeding 18 mph unless licensed as a moped.

Proposed laws aim to slow speeds and boost accountability

Local towns are moving first: many are considering bans on e-bikes on roads over 25 mph, requiring front and rear lights, mandating kickstands, and prohibiting cellphone use while riding. New statewide proposals would also add an annual $8 registration fee for all e-bikes.

Federal push for helmet enforcement and safety education

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer is backing a federal “S.A.F.E. Ride Act” to fund statewide electric-bike safety plans, citing multiple teen deaths and injuries in North Jersey. He is also pressing municipalities to enforce New Jersey’s under-17 helmet law and urging rental companies to crack down on underage riders.

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