KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A woman driving a bird scooter was seriously injured Sunday night when struck by a minivan.
Police said the scooter was heading north on Grand Boulevard in the southbound lanes when the rider ran a red light.
A gray Dodge Caravan, which was going east on 10th Street and had a green light, struck the scooter. Its three passengers and the driver were not injured.
The night of the crash, Anthony Smith stepped out from his downtown apartment building after hearing the wreck, then sirens.
"She tried to make a left and got hit," Smith said.
The 25-year-old woman on the scooter suffered serious injuries but is expected to live.
Investigators said she wasn't wearing a helmet and showed signs of being under the influence.
"I see them all the time, all the time especially at night," Keith Taylor, another person who saw the crash aftermath, said. "This is marked off for, you know, scooters and all that, but I see a lot of times they be on the sidewalk as well too."
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Riders who think they're invincible worry law enforcement.
"You're moving at a much higher rate of speed, so there's much less reaction time," said Sgt. Bill Mahoney, with KCPD's accident investigation unit.
Although no one in Kansas City, Missouri, has died since the electric scooters popped up two years ago, KCPD said they've had several close calls like on Sunday.
"You've got several people out here, operating these," Mahoney said, "and I'm sure it's in various states of impairment, often times depending on the time. There's a lot of traffic downtown. People aren't necessarily looking for you."
It's a reminder that Smith said he believes scooter riders need to take seriously.
"Maybe this is a call for everybody to understand that when you're driving these scooters, obey the laws that are laid before you, right?" Smith said. "Because if you don't, this is what happens."
