PORT HURON, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 15-year-old Port Huron girl has died after being hit by a car while riding her electric bicycle in Port Huron.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report:
The collision occurred Monday just after 10 p.m. on Electric Avenue, a state road that serves as an I-94 business loop. Police say the bicyclist was traveling in the opposite direction of traffic flow when she was struck.
"It's devastating. It's truly devastating to see that someone died on our streets," said Tyler Moldovan, a Port Huron resident.
According to Port Huron Police, the driver who hit the girl is cooperating with authorities, and speeding does not appear to be a factor in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
Electric bicycles are legal on Michigan roads, but riders must follow the same rules as other vehicles.
"They're motorized vehicles, and you can travel on the roadway, you just have to treat them like a vehicle, so that means traveling the same direction as vehicles, stop signs, coming to a stop, yield signs," said Assistant Chief Jeremy Young of the Port Huron Police Department.
Police don't believe the teen was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
"I would encourage anybody on these electric bikes that travel 20 miles an hour to be wearing a helmet," Young said.
Electric Avenue is a two-lane, one-way thoroughfare with heavy traffic flow. Local residents have expressed concerns about the road's safety for years.
"MDOT built a highway through that neighborhood, and the people who live in that neighborhood will tell you over and over again the problems they have with people speeding through that neighborhood," Moldovan said.
Bicycling is extremely popular in Port Huron, and police are reminding all riders that safety should be their priority when sharing the road.
"Younger riders don't quite understand the roadway on a bicycle, and they're traveling wherever they're going and they're cutting roads and not stopping at stop signs and things like that," Young said.
Some residents would like to see additional safety measures implemented.
"These people use this as a form of transportation, and those people deserve the dignity to get from point A to point B safely," Moldovan said.
Port Huron police hope both riders and drivers remain vigilant on the roads for the remainder of the summer and beyond.
—————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
