Florida mom petitioning for e-bike regulations after 5-year-old son hit at beach

Florida parents want e-bike changes after son hit by one

The parents of 5-year-old Cade, who was hit by two teenagers riding an e-bike at the beach, want some changes to how e-bikes are regulated, including registration and licenses. Cade's leg was scrapped, but the doctor told his parents that he's lucky it wasn't shattered. The Volusia Sheriff's Office is looking to identify the two teenagers for possible hit-and-run charges.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A child was struck by two teenagers riding an electric bike while walking toward the ocean at a beach in Volusia County, authorities and family members said.

Now the mother of that chid is pushing for stricter e-bike regulations.

The backstory:

Five-year-old Cayde was at the beach with his sister and family friends, when he started walking over to the ocean to get water for a sandcastle. He got hit by two teens on an e-bike.

The little boy and other witnesses say the e-bikers slowed down for a moment, but not to actually check on him or get help.

"They only said ‘sorry,’ and then drove away," Cayde told FOX 35 Reporter Marie Edinger.

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His mom, Taylor Hickman, is pursuing hit-and-run charges.

"You don't get in a car and pop your head out and say ‘sorry’ after you hit someone. Same principle with the bike, especially an e-bike," she said.

Now, his mom is talking with the Volusia County Sheriff and planning to talk with state regulators to try to change regulations around e-bikes.

‘They need to have licenses’

What they're saying:

Cayde is healing up okay, but says he doesn’t want to go to the beach anymore.

Cayde’s stepdad, Matt Lippincott, says he wants to see the maximum punishment for the e-bikers. And he wants regulations changed.

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"They need to have licenses, they need to be registered. That way, when situations like this occur, people can be held accountable for their actions."

Cayde’s mom, Taylor Hickman, wants the same.

"Thankfully, my little boy is okay," she said. "The next could be dealing with something a lot worse."

The push for change

Hickman says she wants to get a petition started to change the law around e-bikes. She’s also encouraging people to come forward and share their experiences with e-bikes so she can speak with legislators in Tallahassee about her ideas for how to change e-bike regulations.

The reward

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood says he’s offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the people responsible for the alleged hit-and-run.

Witnesses told deputies there was a male driver and female passenger. Those witnesses said the e-bikers looked fairly young – likely teenagers.