ORLANDO, Fla. – Ashley LaChance is turning pain into progress after her son was hit and killed while riding his e-bike.
“I’m not going to back down. I’m certainly not going to sit in my house and cry every day all day about it,” said LaChance. “Something needs to happen.”
LaChance may have lost her son but she’s hoping to prevent this tragedy from happening to others.
“I have an idea - I’m not ready to share it with the public yet, but there is something big coming and I’m excited about it, and I think it’s really going to resonate with kids,” said LaChance.
On May 10, her teenage son Colton Remsburg was riding his e-bike on Moss Park Road when he was hit by a pickup truck. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, he was not wearing a helmet and not in a marked crosswalk when he entered the direct path of the truck.
[WATCH: Orange County commissioners debate strict new e-bike rules]
Since Dec. 1, there have been 41 incidents in Orange County involving e-bikes and scooters that have resulted in injuries. Now leaders are calling for change.
“Wear bright clothing, wear protective gear, wear the correct protective gear,” said William Farhat, the Division Chief with Orange County Fire Rescue.
“The most important thing we can give out right now immediately is wear a helmet,” said City of Orlando Commissioner Tom Keen.
The Orange County Commission spoke on e-bike safety concerns earlier this week, pressing to get an ordinance in place that could include speed limits for e-bikes, banning e-bikes from sidewalks and ticketing parents if their children repeatedly break the rules.
“Our ultimate goal is to make our community safer,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.
The state recently passed its own set of e-bike rules, capping things like speed and right-of-way.
Many say there is more that cities and counties can do to further protect kids.