Rochester Hills e-moto rider hit by pickup truck while crossing the street on West Avon
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - One person is in this hospital after getting hit by a pickup truck while riding an e-moto in Rochester Hills.
E-moto vs pickup truck in Rochester Hills
Big picture view:
On Tuesday just before 7:30 a.m., the Oakland County Sheriff's Office says a 42-year-old Rochester Hills man was riding an electric motorcycle and was crossing West Avon Road at the intersection of Old Perch Road while on the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, police say a 2009 Ford Ranger, driven by a man from Lake Orion with a woman in the passenger seat, was going eastbound on West Avon Road.
While crossing the road, officials say the e-moto rider had to travel outside the crosswalk because a vehicle stopped in a position that blocked the path. That is when he rode into the path of the pickup truck where the crash occurred.
What they're saying:
Witnesses told police that truck drove through the intersection against a red light.
"Obviously, we are seeing more crashes and dangerous situations from E-bikes and E-motos" Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "The legislature must pass better guard rails on where, how, and who can operate these vehicles, as well as require disclosure to potential buyers about where, how, and who may operate them. It is also troubling that people sell kits to make it appear that an E-moto is an E-bike in an attempt to obfuscate illegal use."
Dig deeper:
The e-moto rider, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was taken to the hospital where he is expected to be okay. The truck driver was uninjured.
Oakland County officials say the electric motorcycle was not registered and was not legally permitted to be operated on either a sidewalk or roadway.
An investigation is ongoing.
The Source: FOX 2 used information from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for details in this report.