A 62-year-old Westminster resident has died following a single-vehicle e-bike collision in Huntington Beach, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Police said officers responded at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, to the area of Warner Avenue and Brightwater Drive after reports of an e-bike crash. When officers arrived, they found the rider unconscious in the roadway. She was transported to a local hospital but later succumbed to her injuries.

According to the preliminary investigation, the rider was traveling eastbound in the bicycle lane on Warner Avenue when she apparently struck a raised concrete curb and fell. Investigators have not determined whether alcohol, drugs, or another medical condition played a role in the collision. The Huntington Beach Police Department’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team is continuing the investigation.

The tragedy appears to be a reminder that e-bike fatalities do not always involve collisions with cars. While many public discussions about bicycle safety focus on vehicle-versus-bicycle crashes, a significant number of serious injuries and deaths result from riders losing control, striking fixed objects, roadway defects, medians, curbs, poles, or other hazards.

E-Bike and E-Moto Fatalities Continue to Rise in Orange County

Orange County has seen a dramatic increase in e-bike and e-motorcycle crashes over the past several years as the popularity of electric two-wheeled transportation has exploded. According to data cited by local medical providers and public officials, countywide e-bike crashes grew from roughly 34 reported incidents in 2020 to more than 340 by 2025. Fatal crashes have also increased during that period.

Doctors at Children’s Hospital of Orange County have reported an equally alarming trend. Pediatric e-bike trauma cases rose from just seven patients in 2019 to 116 in 2024, and trauma activations related to e-bikes reportedly climbed to more than 200 cases in 2025.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has described the situation as reaching “epidemic levels,” leading to the creation of a specialized e-bike and e-motorcycle prosecution and education effort.

National Fatality Trend Also Heading Upward

The increase is not limited to Orange County.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, reported e-bike fatalities nationwide rose from just six deaths in 2018 to 97 deaths in 2024. The agency recorded approximately 310 e-bike-related fatalities between 2017 and 2024. Emergency room visits associated with e-bikes have also surged, reaching an estimated 59,200 injuries nationally in 2024.

Federal transportation and safety agencies have acknowledged that e-bike fatalities are likely undercounted because crash reporting systems historically did not separately categorize e-bikes from traditional bicycles.

Top Five Orange County Cities Seeing the Most E-Bike Injuries and Crashes

While comprehensive city-by-city fatality statistics remain limited, medical data compiled by CHOC identifies the following Orange County cities as having the highest number of e-bike injury cases:

• Huntington Beach
• Irvine
• Santa Ana
• Orange
• Newport Beach

Those five cities consistently appear at the top of countywide injury data collected by trauma physicians.

Top Five Causes of E-Bike and E-Moto Fatalities

Safety studies and local crash investigations point to several recurring causes behind serious and fatal e-bike crashes:

• Excessive speed, particularly involving modified e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
• Loss of control while turning, braking, or striking fixed objects such as curbs, medians, poles, or barriers.
• Failure to wear helmets, increasing the likelihood of fatal head injuries.
• Rider inexperience and lack of formal training.
• Violations of traffic laws, including running red lights, unsafe passing, and riding against traffic.

Many Orange County injury cases involve severe head trauma, skull fractures, internal organ injuries, and other high-energy impacts more commonly associated with motorcycle collisions than traditional bicycle accidents.

Safety Tips for E-Bike and E-Moto Riders

Authorities and trauma physicians recommend several steps that can substantially reduce the risk of serious injury:

• Always wear a properly fitted bicycle or motorcycle helmet.
• Reduce speed when riding near curbs, medians, driveways, and intersections.
• Avoid modifying e-bikes to exceed manufacturer speed limits.
• Stay visible with lights and reflective equipment, especially at dawn, dusk, and nighttime.
• Keep both hands on the handlebars and avoid distractions such as phones or headphones.
• Regularly inspect brakes, tires, batteries, and steering components.
• Ride in designated bike lanes whenever possible.
• Assume motorists may not see you and ride defensively.

Investigation Remains Ongoing

The death of the Westminster woman underscores the risks that can accompany even seemingly routine rides. Based on the preliminary findings released by Huntington Beach police, the crash did not involve another vehicle. Instead, investigators believe the rider struck a raised curb and fell, suffering injuries severe enough to prove fatal.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or the events leading up to it is encouraged to contact Huntington Beach Police Department Traffic Investigator Vishal Rattanchandani at 714-536-5231.

As e-bike ownership continues to grow throughout Orange County and across the nation, transportation officials, medical professionals, and law enforcement agencies are increasingly warning that riders should treat these vehicles with the same level of caution and respect traditionally associated with motorcycles and mopeds. Their speed, weight, and acceleration can quickly turn a simple mistake into a life-altering or even fatal event.