FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A teenager was seriously injured Sunday night after crashing a pocket bike into a car at the intersection of West and Shields avenues in Fresno, according to police. It’s one of two crashes over the weekend that involved e-bikes.<\/p>\n
E-bikes and e-scooters have become increasingly common and are a convenient way for people to get around. But it also poses risks to both riders and the public.<\/p>\n
“I don’t care if you’re a juvenile or an adult, you need to obey the rules of the road. Every rule of the road,” said Sgt. Michael McCray of the Fresno Police Department.<\/p>\n
McCray said safety should be a key consideration for families when choosing these vehicles for children.<\/p>\n
“Whatever it is you’re looking to purchase for your child, to make sure it is something they can ride safely and that they’ve been trained on because we’re getting a lot of these fatalities nowadays,” McCray said.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, a 13-year-old boy died and two other children were significantly hurt in two separate crashes involving e-bikes in Fresno, police said.<\/p>\n
RELATED: E-bike safety concerns on the rise after two crashes in Fresno<\/a><\/p>\n Safety concerns are also driving policy changes elsewhere. At Fresno State, university leaders plan to ban e-scooters, bikes, and skateboards on campus starting next fall, citing safety issues.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Southern California, an Orange County mother is facing felony charges, including involuntary manslaughter, after prosecutors said her teenage son critically injured an 81-year-old man by crashing into him while riding an electric motorcycle.<\/p>\n Questions about when parents and children can be held criminally responsible depend on the specific circumstances of each case, said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp.<\/p>\n “In order to reach the level of criminal liability, the parents would have to be on notice, and continue to allow access to the bike or vehicle and continue to do nothing,” Smittcamp said.<\/p>\n Smittcamp said parents could also potentially face civil liability.<\/p>\n A 2025 report from San Jose State University found that in 2024 there were more than 900 crashes involving e-bikes. Fresno Police said the city saw two e-bike fatalities last year.<\/p>\n Smittcamp said action is required once parents are made aware of unsafe behavior.<\/p>\n “Once those parents receive those notices from whoever it is, a neighbor, a friend, somebody who might see them engaging in that behavior, they really need to put the lid on it,” she said.<\/p>\n Under California law, riders must follow all traffic laws, including stop signs, signals and lane rules. Riders under 18 are also required to wear a helmet.<\/p>\n For news updates, follow Ana Torrea on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n