Residents in the Village of Cedarhurst are concerned for their safety over the use of electric scooters by children in the village.
Longtime resident and former Board of Zoning Appeals member Michael Herzog, 87, approached the Board of Trustees at their monthly meeting to discuss the issues of electric scooters, on Nov. 3.
“There has been a lot of illegal activity with e-bikes and scooters,” Herzog said.
In late August, a young boy going 40 miles per hour on his electric scooter struck Maria Arra of 291 Cedarhurst Avenue, in the back of the body.
Arra, who works at John F. Kennedy airport, has suffered trauma and long-lasting pain since the accident.
“I was in a rush doing things and I am always aware of what is happening around me,” she said. “I was coming from the laundry to the walking patch when something hit me very bad in my back and side.”
She said it was so fast that she feel to her knees and elbows on the concrete.
“I started screaming so bad and I saw kids around me,” Arra added. “I was bleeding all over and couldn’t get up. When I saw the kid holding the scooter with lights, I realized it was electric.”
Arra said she asked the boy how old he was and he said 14. She questioned why he wasn’t looking at the street and to see what he did to her.
“She was bleeding all over and was in such a state of shock,” Herzog added. “She was seriously hurt and that is why this is a matter of life or death.”
According to police, they were unable to catch the boy but determined he was going the maximum speed on an electric scooter.
The Village of Cedarhurst enforces Nassau County’s rules on electric scooters and bikes.
“We had incorporated an ordinance on this and have the same law,” said Ari Brown, State Assemblyman and deputy mayor of Cedarhurst.
The traffic law states: you must wear a helmet; you cannot be younger than 16 years old to drive an e-bike or scooter; you cannot drive on the sidewalk and you cannot drive over 20 miles per hour.
“Any motorized scooter operated on the highway, parking lot, sidewalk, street or other public areas can be impounded,” according to Nassau County Traffic Laws. “Violations of Nassau County Miscellaneous Law, Title 61, are punishable by a fine up to $700 for repeat offenders.”
Herzog stressed to the board how frequent these incidents are occurring due to the location of the apartment building.
“My observation is that it was always happening, even a year ago,” he said. “But it is happening so frequently now that it’s really astounding. It’s all over and nobody is solving the problem.”
According to police, the Fourth Precinct is confiscating 15 to 20 of the electric scooters/bikes at a time.
“If this happened to a kid, it could kill them,” Arra said. “That day for me was trauma and I feel my pain in my hips, knees and elbows still.”
Mayor Benjamin Weinstock said the village will be putting up signs on Cedarhurst Ave., to indicate the dangers of driving e-scooters and bikes.
“The danger is silent you don’t hear them coming,” Herzog said. “Looking both ways when you walk doesn’t help anymore. All communities are trying to deal with this and we are here to make sure you’re aware how serious this is.”
