ORLANDO, Fla. – Volusia County teen Hunter Ford is speaking out for the first time since he was hit by a car while riding his e-bike on his way to school, as he tries to encourage safe riding habits in others.
“To be trapped under a car was the most traumatizing experience for me,” Ford said.
The 14-year-old was riding his e-bike to what was supposed to be his first day of high school last month when the accident happened. The driver said they did not see Ford, who was dragged 15 feet and trapped under the vehicle.
[VIDEO: Witnesses lift vehicle off 14-year-old e-bike rider after he was struck, dragged in Volusia County]
“A tow truck lifted the car off of me,” he recalled. “The major injuries I have right now are my liver, it got torn in half, and my foot, which was on the muffler.”
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Ford was at the University of Central Florida Wednesday to share his story as part of AAA’s new campaign, “Safe Streets for Small Wheels.” The initiative aims to highlight the growing safety risks for e-bike and scooter riders.
“We’re not here to villainize or condemn the use of e-bikes or scooters, but we do want to raise awareness about their presence,” AAA Public Relations Manager Mark Jenkins said.
The statewide campaign will include messaging on social media, billboards and select college campuses. It focuses on encouraging electric vehicle riders to follow road rules and reminding drivers to be alert because the use of e-bikes and scooters is increasing, especially among children.
Dr. Marc Levy, a pediatric surgeon at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, discussed the rise in injuries during the press conference announcing the campaign.
“Like a year ago, we might’ve seen 90 to 100 kids who were injured by e-bikes and scooters. In the past year, we’ve seen about 250,” he said.
Through this campaign and his personal story, Hunter wants to stress the importance of wearing a helmet.
“A lot of them said if I wasn’t wearing this helmet, they’d be having a different conversation with my mom and dad,” he said