IRVINE, California ¨C On a Thursday evening in late June, Clarissa Champlain learned that her 15-year-old son Brodee had been in a terrible crash, the latest teen victim of an e-bike accident.
He had been riding from home to shot-putting practice. The e-bike, a model made by Rad Power, had a top speed of 20 mph, but his route took him on a busy road with a 55 mph speed limit. While turning left, he was clipped by a Nissan van and thrown violently.
Champlain rushed to the hospital and was taken to Brodee¡¯s room. She could see the marks left by the chin strap of his bike helmet. ¡°I went to grab his head and kiss him,¡± she recalled. ¡°But there was no back of his head. It wasn¡¯t the skull, it was just mush.¡±
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