NOCATEE, Fla. – As concerns grow about the safety of electric bikes for young riders, a man who has lived in Nocatee for about a week recounted the shocking moments Monday afternoon when a 15-year-old crashed with an Amazon delivery vehicle right in front of his home.
The teen was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries after crashing his electric dirt bike around 4 p.m. at the intersection of Rialto and Nocatee Village drives.
Greg Webb said he was in his front yard getting to know his new neighbors when they witnessed the crash.
RELATED: 15-year-old boy seriously injured in crash involving electric dirt bike in St. Johns County
Webb said an Amazon delivery vehicle was driving through the intersection when the teen came through.
“He kind of ran into the truck and went flying at least 20 feet into the neighbor’s yard,” Webb said. “It was a blessing he landed in the grass.”
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the teen failed to stop for a vehicle and was thrown off the e-bike.
The teen, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to Addison Park at Town Center and eventually transported by helicopter to a hospital.
Webb said that when the crash happened, he immediately ran over to help.
“Just praying over him. Telling him that help is on the way, and just to relax. I could hear him breathing and feel his heartbeat. It was something that you don’t want to witness,” Webb said.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit is investigating the crash, which marked the second incident involving an e-bike in the area in just over a month.
In April, a 12-year-old boy had to be airlifted to a local trauma center after he was involved in a serious crash while riding his e-bike on Race Track Road near Julington Creek Plantation.
Last week, St. Johns County commissioners discussed a proposed e-bike safety ordinance.
At the meeting, county officials talked about the latest draft of the proposed ordinance, but commissioners instead decided the rules would be difficult to enforce and opted to turn the proposal into a resolution encouraging riders to be safe.
