A 10-YEAR-OLD boy was left with multiple injuries and his “nose hanging off” after being hit by an e-bike outside his home.
Carter Ralph was playing on a children’s scooter in Loughborough, Leicestershire, when the shocking hit-and-run happened on October 30.
PASergeant Chris Hook handles confiscated illegally modified ebikes at Bishopsgate Police Station in London[/caption]
Carter Ralph’s mother shared the shocking extent of his injuries
Hearing his scream, Nadine Ralph, 39, ran outside to find her son covered in blood, lying on the ground seemingly unconscious.
Carter required two operations to repair injuries to his nose, mouth and one of his eyelids.
The mum, who described the scene as “horrendous”, told the Telegraph: “At first I thought he didn’t have an eyeball, his eyelid was completely covering his one eye.
“He looked like he had been badly beaten up – he was so battered and bruised. His nose was hanging off.”
Nadine said that Carter also had a large yellow and blue bruise on his chest, believed to be where the bike handlebars had hit him.
But the “heartless” rider picked himself up from the floor and cycled away on a Barracuda e-bike without waiting to check on his victim.
Nadine called the police to report the hit and run, and detectives launched an investigation.
The furious mum added: “The fact the cyclist did not stop to check on my child or pick him up off the ground and seek help shows that man has no heart. It is unbelievable behaviour.”
Cops have since obtained CCTV footage from a neighbour, which is understood to show the rider on the pavement on his e-bike.
Other witnesses have told Nadine the crash took place on a public footpath.
It is the latest in a series of crashes involving e-bikes and other e-vehicles, which campaigners argue are dangerous because they are silent and extremely fast.
In July 2023, Jim Blackwood, a 91-year-old Army veteran who served 26 years in the forces, was killed when he was struck by an e-bike while putting his bins out at his home in Rochester, Kent.
E-bikes are legal in Britain and can be driven without a licence, but their maximum speed limit should be 15.5mph.
Nadine believes more should be done to penalise “dangerous cyclists who ignore road rules”, adding that her son’s traumatic experience had left him frightened of being struck again.
Doctors tending to Carter are pleased with his recovery but believe it will be several months before he will be healed.
Leicestershire Police said: “The person riding the bike left the scene following the incident.
“Inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances of the incident, including the type of bike which was being ridden.
“Our investigation remains ongoing, including speaking with the boy and his family, house-to-house inquiries and analysing CCTV.”
E-bike rules of the road
People aged 14 or over can ride an electric bike as long as it meets certain requirements.
These electric bikes are known as ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs).
You do not need a licence to ride one and it does not need to be registered, taxed or insured.
An EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it, and it must show either the power output or the manufacturer of the motor.
It must also show either the battery’s voltage, or the maximum speed of the bike.
Its electric motor must have a maximum power output of 250 watts and should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph.
An EAPC can have more than 2 wheels.
If a bike meets the EAPC requirements it is classed as a normal pedal bike. This means you can ride it on cycle paths and anywhere else pedal bikes are allowed.
Any electric bike that does not meet the EAPC rules is classed as a motorcycle or moped and needs to be registered and taxed.
You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.
Source: Gov.uk
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