Capitola police seized an electric bike from a teenager who they say ran a stop sign and popped a wheelie in the intersection in front of a police car earlier this week.
The teen, who has previously been involved in a traffic collision on his e-bike, was issued citations on Monday for unsafe speed and failing to yield at a stop sign, police said on social media. The teen’s Super 73 e-bike will be seized for 10 days. Capitol police said officers can impound e-bikes for up to 30 days if they find that they are being operated unsafely.
“Some people believe that enforcement of juveniles on e-bikes is the wrong focus, but our #1 goal is the safety of our community, including these kids,” Capitola Police Department wrote in a social media post.
The news comes ahead of a Thursday vote by Capitola City Council on whether to write a letter to local state legislators proposing new statewide regulations. Specifically, the city council wants the legislators to consider a ban on class 2 e-bikes for children under 14 years old, establish a written test and permit program for class 2 e-bike riders under the age of 16, and implement a traffic safety curriculum in schools.
It is not the first time Capitola police have intervened with teenage e-bike riders.
Last month, a 17-year-old was seriously injured when his e-bike collided with a truck at 41st Avenue and Clares Street. The semi truck was making a delivery to a local business when the driver struck the teen cyclist. And in January, police seized a Talaria e-bike they said was not street safe after a teen boy yield to an enforcement stop on Clares Street. The rider then led officers on a brief pursuit that police eventually abandoned out of safety concerns for the driver and traffic conditions.
-With a report from Christopher Neely
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