Mom on e-bike with her two kids crashes onto rocks and dies, California cops say

A mom was riding an electric bike with her two children when they crashed into rocks, and she died after the accident, California officials said.

Jennifer Macy, 36, was riding the bike Saturday with her two sons on a trail in San Juan Capistrano, according to The Capistrano Dispatch. All of them were on the same e-bike, CBS LA reported.

The mother crashed into a curb and she was tossed onto nearby rocks. She was not wearing a helmet and died, KTLA reported.

“There were two children on the e-bike under the age of 5,” Todd Hylton, Orange County Sheriff’s Department public information officer, told The Capistrano Dispatch. “They were transported to the hospital.”

The boys were wearing helmets, according to KTLA.

E-bikes are typical road or mountain bikes that have a battery-powered motor attached that boosts the speed and ability of the bike. Some can zip by at speeds up to nearly 30 mph, according to The New York Times.

Because of their speed, e-bikes can be more dangerous than a typical bike. From 2000 to 2017, thousands of people were sent to an emergency room with injuries after riding an e-bike, The New York Times reported.

The trend has grown in popularity since then as cities across the country get electric bikes and scooters.

Hundreds of people are killed in bicycle crashes every year. More than 1,000 people died in bicycle accidents in 2019, according to the National Safety Council.

Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head and brain injuries by nearly 60%, the National Safety Council said.

Helmets should be well maintained and be age appropriate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They should always be worn correctly and certified for use.

“While there is no concussion-proof helmet, a helmet can help protect your child or teen from a serious brain or head injury,” the CDC said. “Even with a helmet, it is important for your child or teen to avoid hits to the head.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Mom on e-bike with her two kids crashes onto rocks and dies, California cops say."