The Orange County district attorney's office, Seal Beach Police Department and other community leaders addressed the dangers of e-bikes with a stated goal of finding ways to solve the problem. The Rotary Club meeting was held at the Old Ranch Country Club.
Earlier this year, District Attorney Todd Spitzer launched a new prosecution unit called RIDE SAFELY. The goal is to create accountability for kids and adults who ride e-bikes and e-motorcycles, but it also goes after those who break the law while riding one of the popular 2-wheelers.
The program will review all potential criminal charges, including for parents who let their children ride illegal e-motorcycles.
"We currently have four open prosecutions against parents," Senior Deputy District Attorney Elisa Kim said at the community meeting. "We also have 26 open investigations against parents, where we are considering filing charges."
Kim noted that amid the county's growing problem of illegal e-bike and e-motorcycle use, cases involving the prosecution of juveniles typically have been resulting in diversion or informal probation, even for felonies. That's why the D.A.'s office is focusing on the parents of those offenders -- primarily parents who have already been warned by authorities.
"They were told -- either by law enforcement, or it could be the store where they purchased the e-bike from," Kim said.
The D.A.'s office says it is also considering pursuing cases against manufacturers and distributors that are allegedly falsely marketing non-e-bikes as e-bikes.
This all comes amid a rise in crashes, injuries and even deaths related to e-bicycles.
A 72-year-old Seal Beach woman was seriously injured after she was struck by a teenager riding an e-motorcycle earlier this year.
Seal Beach woman injured in e-motorcycle crash advocates for safety
Stephanie Potter spent two weeks in the ICU followed by four weeks at a rehabilitation facility. Four months after the crash, she remains in recovery.
Potter and her family are now urging greater safety and accountability surrounding e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
"Those injuries don't end when someone leave's the hospital," Potter's daughter-in-law, Shannon Potter, said at the Rotary Club meeting. "The recovery follows you home."
"They're not toys -- especially if they're not operated legally, without proper licensing, insurance, without regard to the normal traffic laws, and most of all, without parental supervision," Shannon Potter said, referring to e-bikes. "
During Potter's recovery, 81-year-old Ed Ashman was also struck by a teen riding an e-motorcycle in Lake Forest and later died from his injuries.
OC mother now charged with involuntary manslaughter following death of 81-year-old man
In that case, the D.A.'s office filed charges against the teen's mother, including involuntary manslaughter, for allegedly letting her 14-year-old son ride an e-motorcycle despite being warned of its dangers multiple times.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said there was an emergency meeting on e-bikes. The Seal Beach Rotary Club says this is a regularly scheduled rotary club meeting with e-bikes on the agenda. The rotary club is hosting, with the D.A.'s office in attendance.