Two Scooter Riders Killed In Separate Chicago Crashes, Including One Involving Police

CHICAGO — Two people riding electric scooters were killed this week in separate collisions — one after a crash with a marked Chicago Police vehicle in Bridgeport and another after colliding with an SUV in North Park.

A 39-year-old man was riding an electric scooter in the 3200 block of South Princeton Ave. at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday when a Chicago police officer fatally struck him while on patrol, police said.

On Friday, a 67-year-old man riding an electric scooter died after a 44-year-old driver of a Dodge SUV struck him at about 4:35 a.m. in the 3300 block of West Peterson Ave., according to police.

Both scooter riders were pronounced dead at nearby hospitals.

The two officers involved in Thursday’s collision were taken to a local hospital to receive medical treatment. They did not give details on what caused the crash.

The SUV driver didn’t report injuries and was issued one citation for failure to reduce speed.

Police said the department’s Major Accidents Investigation Unit is investigating both incidents.

The two fatalities this week have renewed conversations about safety for bike and scooter riders in the city, and follow numerous fatalities and severe injuries to cyclists and motorized scooter riders in Chicago earlier this year.

“It’s been a really tough year,” said Christina Whitehouse, founder of Bike Lane Uprising, a cycling advocacy group. “In September, it was a complete bloodbath, and here we go again.”

The officers reported Thursday’s collision to a 911 dispatcher at about 12:29 a.m., a police scanner indicates, with one officer asking for an ambulance to arrive at 32nd Street and Princeton Avenue, saying, “We just struck a civilian.” About four minutes later, one officer pressed the 911 dispatcher for an update on when an ambulance would arrive.

“Is there any ETA on an ambulance? They need to get here ASAP,” the officer told the dispatcher.

“Again, negative for the ETA,” the dispatcher responded.

“All right, we have a Hispanic male, 25 to 35, massive head wounds, lots of blood loss right now,’’ the officer said.

Whitehouse’s Bike Lane Uprising tracks bike lane obstructions across the United States and Canada. She said Chicago police vehicles are among the most often listed for parking in or blocking bike lanes, and that there are “hotspots” for obstructions near the city’s police precincts.

She said officers who obstruct bike lanes set a precedent for other drivers and how cyclists are treated on the roads.

“They’re an absolute safety hazard,” Whitehouse said.

Chicago is seeing a new wave of people riding bikes and scooters to work, or around the city generally, as gasoline prices rise and many Chicagoans look to cut costs, Whitehouse said. The city needs to continue investing in infrastructure that is going to protect both scooter and bikes riders, she said.

“People are actually using these devices as a form of livelihood, and there just aren’t safe spaces,” Whitehouse said.

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