On the same day Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a nighttime ban on electric scooters, a man on an e-scooter was hit and injured by a car in Buckhead, authorities said.
Just before 6:45 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to the 1800 block of Peachtree Road and found the e-scooter rider complaining of back pain after being hit by a car, Atlanta police said. The man was alert at the scene, and he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
The driver of the vehicle involved stayed at the scene, and police found the e-scooter rider “to be at fault for the accident and (he) was cited accordingly,” police said in a news release.
The nighttime ban, which was signed Thursday morning, bans using e-scooter and electric bikes between the hours of 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. Given that the e-scooter incident Thursday happened before 9 p.m., the rider would not have been violating the new ban.
» MORE: Atlanta mayor: No more riding electric scooters and bikes after 9 p.m.
Bottoms’ executive order was the latest legislation in response to e-scooters, which have become a popular mode of transportation in urban areas, including Atlanta, since their introduction in May 2018.
They started out mostly unregulated until the City Council approved legislation in January requiring companies to obtain permits and submit monthly data to the city about their use.
After a 10-month grace period, city officials recently announced that police would begin cracking down on people caught riding on sidewalks instead of in the street. Fines for those caught riding on sidewalks could range as high as $1,000.
» RELATED: After period of leniency, Atlanta police now enforcing scooter law
Since May, there have been four fatalities in metro Atlanta involving e-scooters, which prompted protests and even more legislation, such as Bottoms' ban.
In East Point, a man died after allegedly running a red light while on an e-scooter and being hit by a truck Tuesday morning. Police said the driver wasn't able to stop in time and was not charged as a result.
» MORE: 4th e-scooter death in metro Atlanta comes to East Point
Last Friday, an Alabama mother of two was taken off life support, days after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding an e-scooter in Midtown. An arrest has not been made in that case.
The second e-scooter fatality occurred July 17 when a 37-year-old Atlanta man fell while riding next to a CobbLinc bus and got run over, police said. No charges were filed against the bus driver.
» MORE: ‘Do something!’: Passenger recalls moment CobbLinc bus hit e-scooter rider in Midtown
The first occurred in May when a 20-year-old man was struck by a Cadillac SUV as he left a MARTA station. The driver of the vehicle, 36-year-old Narcory Wright, was later arrested on misdemeanor charges of second-degree homicide by vehicle and speeding in connection with the deadly wreck.
In other news:
About the Author
