A 62-year-old woman from Westminster died following an e-bike crash in Huntington Beach on Saturday afternoon, marking the second fatal incident involving an electric bicycle in the city within a few months.
The Huntington Beach Police Department responded to a report of a traffic collision around 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of Warner Avenue and Brightwater Drive. Upon arrival, officers discovered the woman unconscious in the roadway. Emergency personnel transported her to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman was traveling eastbound in the bicycle lane on Warner Avenue when she struck a raised concrete curb, causing her to fall. The incident is under review as authorities continue to assess the circumstances surrounding the crash.
This tragic event follows a previous fatal e-bike collision in Huntington Beach earlier this summer. On July 21, a man riding an e-bike collided with a vehicle at Warner Avenue and Plaza Lane. He was found unconscious on the sidewalk and died in hospital five days later.
Incidents involving e-bikes have been increasing statewide in recent years. A study by researchers at the University of California San Diego analyzed data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System and found that e-bike riders were involved in at least 4,035 collisions across California between 2018 and 2024. The study noted that injuries sustained in e-bike crashes tend to be more severe than those involving traditional bicycles. It also indicated that in the majority of such collisions, the e-bike rider was determined to be at fault.
The rise in e-bike incidents has prompted policy discussions in various jurisdictions. In April, a Los Angeles City Council panel voted unanimously to propose banning e-bikes from local trails, although the measure still requires approval by the full council to take effect. This reflects ongoing efforts to address safety concerns related to the growing popularity of electric bicycles.