ROCHESTER HILLS (WWJ) -- Authorities are out with another safety reminder, and a call for a change in the law, after a serious crash involving an electric motorcycle.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened just before 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, on West Avon Road near Old Perch Road in in Rochester Hills.
The preliminary investigation found that a 42-year-old Rochester Hills man was riding the e-moto on the sidewalk. He when began crossing West Avon at the intersection, when he was hit by a Ford Ranger pickup truck, driven by a 20-year-old Village of Lake Orion man.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard said while the e-moto rider was initially in the crosswalk, another vehicle stopped within the crosswalk, blocking his path. That's when the e-moto rider left the crosswalk, and the crash occurred.
Witnesses told deputies that the Ford entered the intersection against a red traffic signal.
The e-moto rider, who was not wearing a helmet, was seriously injured and is listed in stable condition.
The driver and a passenger in the truck were not hurt.
Bouchard noted that the motorcycle was not registered nor legally permitted to be operated on the sidewalk or roadway.
“Obviously, we are seeing more crashes and dangerous situations from e-bikes and e-motos," Bouchard said, in a statement. “The legislature must pass better guard rails on where, how, and who can operate these vehicles, as well as require disclosure to potential buyers about where, how, and who may operate them. It is also troubling that people sell kits to make it appear that an e-moto is an e-bike in an attempt to obfuscate illegal use.”
An investigation by the OCSO Crash Reconstruction Unit is ongoing.
