ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County mother is working to raise awareness after her son died following an e-scooter crash near Lake Nona. Thirteen-year-old Colton Remsburg died earlier this month after being struck by a pickup truck on Moss Park Road on Mother’s Day.
As a memorial continues to grow with flowers and personalized items at the crash scene to remember Colton, his mom Ashley LaChance, says she will push for more safety rules for teens on e-bikes and e-scooters to make sure something good comes out of this tragedy.
LaChance says Colton was always making new friends and reaching out to support others.
“He had a heart of gold. I want him to be honored. Everybody knew him. More people than I knew,” she said.
LaChance says too often after teens leave the house, they do what they want instead of following their parents’ advice on how to ride safely.
Colton’s mom says police should focus on enforcement to promote safety.
“What are we going to do to step up and make sure these kids are safe on our roadways? That’s writing tickets. Don’t let up. Keep writing tickets,” LaChance said.
Orange County Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero brought together elected officials, traffic engineers and public safety experts to look at the area on Moss Park Road where Colton’s accident happened. They are checking to see if speed limits are correct and if crosswalks are in the best locations.
Orlando City Commissioner Tom Keen wants to see more focus on teaching safety.
“We need to model and make sure that kids are wearing helmets,” he said. “I think that would be the number one thing we can do. If we can get that done, that would make a difference.”
Orange County Commissioners are working on an ordinance to regulate e-bikes and e-scooters in unincorporated areas of the county. The sheriff’s office has prepared a draft for commissioners to consider. Some enforcement ideas include making reckless teen riders pay fines and impounding their vehicles until they take a safety course.
“We are trying to figure out how we want to implement that, where we want to store these (e-bikes and e-scooters), and what requirements we’re going to have to release them,” Sgt. Laith Kareem said.
Leaders of the sheriff’s traffic unit say impounding e-vehicles could cause parents to take notice and closely monitor how teens use them. County leaders want to combine enforcement with campaigns to promote safety.
LaChance says she will do all she can to make our roads and sidewalks safer.
“Change needs to happen, and Colton was strong minded like that, and so am I. I will not back down,” she said.
LaChance says she wants to see teens sign a written agreement on riding e-bikes and e-scooters safely to hold them accountable. She also hopes any local ordinance or state law to promote safety will bear Colton’s name.
Officials say the state of Florida won’t have a law in place for another year. Winter Garden and Cocoa Beach already have ordinances on the books, and Orange County officials say they might have rules in place by September.