Teen riding e-scooter without helmet dies after being flung across intersection when she collided with car
KAMBAH, CANBERRA: A 19-year-old woman died after her e-scooter collided with a car in Kambah on Sunday, September 25. She was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
The officials revealed the young woman was thrown a 'substantial distance' across the intersection of Drakeford Drive and O’Halloran Circuit in Kambah, Canberra, after e-scooter was smashed by the car.
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Emergency services were called about 3.10 pm on Sunday. Upon arrival, they found the girl with serious head and leg injuries. The girl was rushed to the Canberra Hospital where she was pronounced dead. ACT Policing's Major Collision Team has launched an investigation into the matter and is soon going to pass their report to the Coroner. During the investigation, they found out the woman was riding without a helmet while the e-scooter was not from a local public-hire operator. Her identity has not been revealed by officials.
Detective Acting Inspector Paul Hutcheson, an officer in charge of road policing, offered his condolences to the family and friends of the woman and talked about the "wide-ranging" impacts of road deaths. "This is another tragic and preventable death of a young Canberran on ACT roads," he said, adding, "The impacts of this incident are very significant and wide-ranging throughout the community."
"Any of our vulnerable road users who are using scooters, e-scooters, bicycles, or skateboards on and around our roadways to slow down, check the road before you enter or cross and please wear your helmet," Hutcheson went on to add.
The woman's death is the 12th road fatality in the Australian Capital Territory this year and the first e-scooter-related death. Rules around riding e-scooters vary from state to state. Australian states including Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, and Western Australia allow the driver to ride an e-scooter with a normal driving licenses under the electric scooter law.
However, other states, including the Australian Capital Territory, NSW, Tasmania and Victoria, follow strict rules where riders have to complete training before ridingon roads. The e-scooter became popular after July when NSW launched a joint e-scooter scheme, in which locals and tourists were allowed to rent a scooter from an approved provider and ride it at a select trial location. However, riders who take their vehicles outside the permitted trial locations could be slammed with a $697 on-the-spot fine.