Delaware County, Pennsylvania, township hopes to prevent electric scooter accidents with new ordinance
On Monday night, the board voted to move forward with an ordinance to prohibit people under the age of 16 from riding them.
If the ordinance soon passes and becomes law, it would be enforced in January 2026 with a $25 fine for noncompliance.
Commissioners believe this local ordinance is a meaningful and practical step to enhance safety for the young residents.
They said they are working toward a broader, widespread compliance statewide.
The ordinance comes weeks after 12-year-old Abby Gillion died in an electric scooter accident in Aston. Police said she was riding with a friend when they fell off and were hit by a car. Gillion's friend survived.
Last week, CBS News Philadelphia spoke exclusively with Gillon's family, who opened up about their heartache and the action they are taking so no family has to experience their pain.
"It's one of the worst phone calls a parent can get," Lori Kralle, Abby's mother, told CBS News Philadelphia.
Gillon's death shook the entire community.
"We feel broken," Kralle said. "She was my best friend. My only daughter. My only child."
The family is pushing for a new law called "Abby's Law," which would cap e-scooters speeds at 20 mph, ban riders under 16 years old, and require helmets for riders who are 16 and 17 years old.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
5 minutes ago
- CBS News
Anne Arundel County saw major crime drops in the past year
Anne Arundel County reported significant declines in major crime since this time in 2024, the police department said Wednesday. Homicides dropped 14%, and non-contact shootings fell 42% compared to the previous year. Robberies saw dramatic decreases, including a 57% drop in carjackings, a 46% decline in robberies of citizens, and a 50% reduction in commercial robberies. Stolen vehicles fell 28%, and thefts from vehicles were down 27%. Officials credited the department's Real-Time Information Center (RTIC) as a key driver behind the improvements. The RTIC, serves as a real-time technology and data hub, according to the department. Using tools such as automated license plate readers, drones, and integrated public and private camera systems, the RTIC provides important information to officers and detectives, improving situational awareness, and preventing crime. "These crime reduction numbers in our county go far beyond the national downward trends, and it's the result of an integrated strategy," County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. "Our outstanding police officers, our Real-Time Information Center, our high levels of community engagement, and the opportunities that we offer through reentry, education, and employment all contribute to the progress we are making." The announcement marks a positive shift for a county that has seen its share of violence in recent years. In 2022, the region experienced a series of violent incidents. In February, the body of 19-year-old Devin Scott Freeman was found behind a funeral home in Anne Arundel County. Police said he showed signs of trauma, though the nature of his injuries was not immediately clear. A teenager from the Brooklyn neighborhood was arrested and charged with fatally shooting Freeman. On March 15, 2022, a 21-year-old woman was killed, and a teen was injured in a shooting in Pasadena. Two days later, a 17-year-old girl was hospitalized after what police described as a targeted shooting in Glen Burnie. Annapolis has also grappled with youth gun violence in recent months. On Feb. 4, a minor was arrested after allegedly shooting an 18-year-old relative on a soccer field at Wiley Bates Heritage Park. The victim, found with a gunshot wound to the head, was treated at a trauma center. About 30 people, including teenagers, were present at the time. On Feb. 8, a 16-year-old was shot and killed inside a home in the 100 block of Holeclaw Street. Then in April, a man was arrested by U.S. Marshals in connection with a double shooting near a school bus stop that killed 36-year-old John Simms Jr. Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument.
Associated Press
5 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Armed robbers in latest Philadelphia-area Brinks truck heist took $700,000 or more, police say
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Police are investigating whether the armed robbery of a Brinks truck on Tuesday outside a Philadelphia-area store is related to four other attacks on armored vehicles in and around the city this summer. Two armed males got away with between $700,000 and $800,000 in the midday Tuesday heist at an H Mart in Elkins Park, according to Cheltenham Township police. The robbers — one described as armed with an AR-15-style pistol, the other with a handgun — fled with the cash and later abandoned their vehicle nearby, police said. No shots were fired, and no one was injured. Cheltenham Township Police Lt. Andrew Snyder said it's the first such robbery in their township, but authorities are looking into whether it may be connected to four robberies of armored cars in and around Philadelphia since June that police and the FBI are investigating as possibly related. Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that three people from Philadelphia who were arrested in early August are charged in connection with the $2 million armed robbery of a Brink's armored vehicle outside a Home Depot on June 21. A Loomis armored transport vehicle was held up outside an Aldi in a different neighborhood five days later. Then on July 2, a Brinks truck was held up outside a Dollar General at a shopping center. And on July 15, police had a report of two suspects robbing one of the armored vehicles in northeast Philadelphia. FBI agent Wayne Jacobs told CBS News Philadelphia that law enforcement recovered most of the money stolen in the June 21 heist, as well as a number of long weapons and handguns. Some of the money had been spent on jewelry, clothes and other items, he said. 'If this is the type of activity you're going to engage in, if you look at the timeline, six weeks from the time of the incident until the time of the arrest,' Jacobs said, 'it's just a matter of time before you're held accountable for your actions.'
Washington Post
5 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Crackdown on players faking injuries, tweak to video review verbiage among changes in college game
Officials will be cracking down on college football players who feign injuries, the number of overtime timeouts will be reduced and referees will use different verbiage when announcing the results of video reviews. Those are among the changes for the 2025 season, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday in its annual summary of rules changes.
