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14-Year-Old Killed After Riding E-Bike Through Pacific Beach Intersection

County supervisors will vote this week to investigate and possibly sue sellers who market overpowered mopeds as e-bikes because officials say those vehicles raise safety risks for riders.

Overview

  • Police say the crash occurred just after 9 p.m. on Saturday when a 14-year-old riding an e-bike entered the Balboa Avenue intersection against a red light and was struck by a westbound vehicle.
  • The boy was identified Monday as Owen Harris, an eighth grader at Pacific Beach Middle School, and the school has notified families and deployed counselors to support students.
  • San Diego police say the driver, described in reports as a 38-year-old man, stopped at the scene, called for paramedics, and no charges have been filed so far.
  • San Diego County supervisors plan a board vote this week to authorize an investigation and potential legal action targeting manufacturers and retailers accused of selling overpowered motorcycles labeled as e-bikes.
  • Local sellers and riders warn that some companies pass off mopeds or small motorcycles as e-bikes which can deliver high speed and sudden power that buyers may not expect and that officials and families are now pressing the county to address.