Canberra’s first tragedy involving an e-scooter took place on the weekend.
A 19-year-old woman living in Kambah was hit by a car while crossing the intersection of Drakeford Drive and O’Halloran Circuit at 3.10pm on Sunday.
The woman was riding a personal e-scooter, and not wearing a helmet.
Evidence from the scene suggested that the e-scooter and the car collided.
The rider was thrown a substantial distance across the intersection, and seriously injured, police stated.
The driver of the car and several other passers-by stopped to help.
The woman was taken to Canberra Hospital, where she died this morning.
Family and friends were at the hospital from yesterday afternoon.
ACT Policing’s Major Collision team is investigating the collision, and will prepare a report for the Coroner.
Anyone who has seen something, or who has dashcam footage of the collision or the circumstances leading to the collision, to contact ACT Policing via Crime Stoppers: phone 1800 000 333 or online.
The death was the ACT’s 12th road fatality of the year.
“This is another tragic and preventable death of a young Canberran on ACT roads,” Detective Acting Inspector Paul Hutcheson, officer in charge of road policing, said.
“The ACT Government expresses our sympathy to all of those involved in what is a tragic accident,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson reminded Canberrans to be safe on the road at all times.
An e-scooter campaign is underway emphasising the importance of safe riding behaviours. Key safety messages include: ride to the conditions; wear a helmet; don’t drink and scoot.
Inspector Hutcheson reminded riders of scooters, e-scooters, bicycles, and skateboards, on and around roadways, to slow down and obey speed limits; cross the road safely; look both ways before they enter or cross the road; and wear their helmet.
“E-scooters,” Inspector Hutcheson said, “are a safe way to get around Canberra. We’re seeing thousands and thousands of e-scooter trips each day, and a growing variety of road users on ACT roads.
“As we see a wide variety of road users, there will be a greater number of collisions… We have bicycle collisions, we have pedestrian and car collisions. Most of them are pretty much avoidable.
“We’re asking everybody to take some personal accountability for how they use the ACT roads. Most collisions are avoidable if we just obey the rules, share the roads, and have a little bit of compassion for each other.”
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