Latest news with #eScooter
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Brit backpacker, 24, faces 20 years in jail after ‘mowing down dad-of-two on e-scooter following six-hour pub session'
A BRITISH backpacker is facing 20 years behind bars after allegedly ploughing into a dad-of-two with a hired e-scooter while more than three times the drink-drive limit. Alicia Kemp, 24, was denied bail in an Australian court after being charged over the horror smash that left 51-year-old Thanh Phan with fatal head injuries. 2 2 The holidaymaker is accused of striking Phan from behind while speeding down a footpath in Perth with a friend on board as a passenger. The Brit had also been drinking for six hours before the crash, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. Prosecutors said Kemp had a blood alcohol content of 0.158 when she 'careered into his back' at up to 25km/h as the dad stood at a crossing on Saturday night. The court heard walkers had to 'take evasive action' to avoid Kemp's 'inexplicably dangerous' riding, which was captured on CCTV. Her 26-year-old passenger also suffered a fractured skull and broken nose. Kemp, who was in Australia on a four-month tourist visa with her partner, had been working at Durty Nelly's Irish Pub in Perth. She had been drinking with a friend from 2.30pm before they hired the e-scooter just before 8.30pm. Her bail bid was rejected after a magistrate ruled she posed too great a flight risk. 'It's a very difficult decision for the court to make,' the magistrate said. 'The temptation might be that [she] won't return… I can't manage that risk.' Brit facing death penalty in coke smuggling plot all smiles after court rant Phan's devastated family described him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend', and are now calling for a crackdown on e-scooter safety laws. 'We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk,' they said in a statement. In a statement released through police, Phan's grieving family pleaded for privacy and called on authorities to tighten e-scooter hire regulations. 'We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk,' they said. Phan's loved ones described him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend,' and have urged policymakers to curb the growing number of e-scooter incidents in Perth's Central Business District. Local Councillor Anita Fong, who has been campaigning for stricter e-scooter rules, said yesterday that the accident underlined the urgent need for comprehensive safety measures. 'We have seen too many near-misses and hospitalisations in recent months,' Fong stated. 'This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call.' Kemp remains in custody on remand and is due back in court on July 15. Police prosecutors argued that Kemp's status as a foreign tourist working in Perth made her a flight risk, and highlighted the severity of her charges. Western Australian police have confirmed they will continue to investigate whether any additional offences, including possible public nuisance charges, could be laid against Kemp. Meanwhile, e-scooter hire companies in the city are already feeling pressure to introduce speed limiters and more rigorous ID checks after dark.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
City of Perth suspends e-scooters after a pedestrian was struck down and killed by a allegedly drunk rider
The City of Perth has suspended the hire of e-scooters after a pedestrian was knocked down and killed by an alleged drunk rider on Saturday night. Thanh Phan, 51, died from a brain bleed on Tuesday after he was struck from behind by an e-scooter at the intersection of Murray and King St about 8.40pm last Saturday. British backpacker Alicia Kemp, 24, was taken into custody at the scene. Police allege she was under the influence of alcohol with a 26-year-old passenger, before she hit Mr Phan. Her charges were upgraded to dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm and dangerous driving occasioning death after Mr Phan died. He is the first pedestrian to die in WA from an e-scooter incident. Following the tragic incident, the City of Perth suspended the hire of e-scooters from midday on Thursday. Deputy Lord Mayor Brian Reynolds told the ABC it was 'appropriate' for the council to suspend e-scooter rentals in response to the 'horrible' incident. 'This is a tragedy on all levels … our thoughts are with the family and other extended family and friends,' he said. 'Information is coming to hand in every moment but, in our first instance, our responsibility is to act responsible in a respectful manner.' Mr Reynolds said the City would make a final decision once they had collected all the information they could and looked at the data around the events that led to the tragedy. WA Premier Roger Cook also told ABC Perth it was an appropriate response from the City and while e-scooters were a great way to move around and enjoy communities, there had to be regulations in place. 'We know that e-scooters are a regular feature of major cities right around the world and a way that people move around the cities,' he said. 'We have to make sure that it's safe and I think the council is moving in an absolutely appropriate way.' According to the Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Page, at least one person with major injuries caused from e-scooters presented to the Royal Perth Hospital's trauma unit each day. He told ABC Radio there was enough evidence for councils to act and seriously consider similar e-scooter bans. 'It's serious issue, we've been warning about it for years,' he said. 'There is ample evidence for city councils to act on this and to act on it in a more definitive way.' On Tuesday, Mr Phan's family and friends issued a statement calling for more governance and regulations around hired e-scooters to prevent further serious incidents and lives risked. 'We received the heartbreaking news that Thanh passed away as a result of his injuries,' the statement read. 'On Saturday night, Thanh Phan – a beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend – was struck by an electric scooter and critically injured. 'We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk.'
ABC News
10 hours ago
- ABC News
City of Perth to suspend e-scooter hire after death of pedestrian Thanh Phan
The City of Perth is set to suspend the hiring of e-scooters from today following a fatal collision in the city on the weekend that killed a 51-year-old Phan was out for dinner in Perth's CBD on Saturday night when he was struck at the intersection of Murray and King streets by an e-scooter. He is the first pedestrian to die in a an e-scooter accident in WA.A 25-year-old woman has been charged over the a statement to the ABC, deputy lord mayor Bruce Reynolds said the hiring of e-scooters would be suspended from midday today.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British backpacker, 24, killed pedestrian when she ploughed into him while riding an e-scooter drunk in Australia, court hears
A British backpacker allegedly killed a father after ploughing into him while riding drunk on an e-scooter, an Australian court has heard. Alicia Kemp, 24, potentially faces up to 20 years in prison after she was arrested and charged for allegedly riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down 51-year-old engineer Thanh Phan, 51, who died of brain injuries following the May 31 tragedy in Perth, Western Australia. Kemp was told by Perth Magistrates Court that she could not be bailed out as she posed too great a flight risk. The court was told that she was in Australia with her partner on a four-month tourist visa and that she had been working at Durty Nelly's Irish pub in Perth since arriving. She had been out drinking on Saturday afternoon from 2.30pm with a friend, who was kicked out of a bar for being too drunk. Later that evening, she hired an e-scooter at around 8.30pm. Police told the court that she was the main driver, while her friend was a passenger. Prosecutors said that Kemp was driving in an 'inexplicably dangerous' manner, which as caught on CCTV, and that pedestrians were forced to 'take evasive action' as she rode down Murray Street in Perth's Central Business District. She had a blood alcohol level of 0.158 as she was riding. Western Australian law states that electric vehicle drivers must have a level lower than 0.05 to legally drive. She was also travelling at 15mph as 'she careered into his back', prosecutors said, adding that this caused Phan to fall forward and hit his head. Tragically, he suffered 'a significant brain bleed', while Kemp's friend, a 26-year-old who had not yet been identified, was thrown from the scooter and suffered a fractured skull and broken nose. Phan was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital for surgery, where he died on Tuesday. His family said in a statement following his death: 'On Saturday night, Thanh Phan – a beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend – was struck by an electric scooter and critically injured. 'We received the heartbreaking news that Thanh passed away as a result of his injuries. 'We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh's family as they grieve their loss. 'The family has no other comment to make on the issue at this time.' The magistrate in charge of Alicia's case said that remanding the British backpacker in custody was a 'very difficult decision for the court to make. He said that the prosecution's strong case and the prospect of a long prison sentence if convicted meant that there was a risk of '[Kemp] not returning to court to answer the charges', adding: 'The temptation might be that [she] won't return. I can't manage that risk.' Kemp remains in custody and will appear before the court again on July 15.
ABC News
a day ago
- Health
- ABC News
BTN Newsbreak 04/06/2025
E-SCOOTER STUDY New research has shown a rise in Aussie kids getting seriously hurt from e-scooter accidents. E-scooters have become more popular than ever, and with that, there's been a rise in some pretty serious injuries especially among young people. See, new research from Queensland has found that between 2023 and 2024, 176 children aged between 5 and 15 were treated at one hospital alone for e-scooter related injuries. Worse still — a lot of the cases were breaking the rules by not wearing helmets, speeding, or riding double with a friend. At the moment, the rules about how old you have to be to ride an e-scooter change depending on where you live. In most states you need to be 16 or even 18. But in Queensland, kids as young as 12 can ride if an adult is with them. And in the ACT, you only need supervision if you're under 12! So now, some experts are calling for stricter age limits of at least 16 along with more education to make sure young riders know the rules and how to stay safe. SOUTH KOREA ELECTION South Koreans have elected a new president! Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic party won the election, after months of political drama. The snap election happened after the country's previous leader, Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office for trying to impose martial law, which is when a country's military takes control of law and order. Mr Lee is a former lawyer and says he'll focus on restoring democracy, and reviving South Korea's economy. FRENCH OPEN CONTROVERSY The French Open has been copping some criticism for not scheduling enough women's matches in prime time. Yeah, there's been a bit of frustration at the French Open, and it's all to do with its match schedule. The problem? All of the big, prime-time night matches have been given to men's games, while women's matches are often played during the day, when fewer people are watching. In fact, since the introduction of night sessions in 2021, only 4 women's matches have ever been given a prime time slot, and so far this year no women's matches have been scheduled for an evening session. A lot of people reckon it's not fair, including world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka who just played a game at 11am in front of empty seats. The tournament's organisers say one reason is because women's matches can run shorter than men's matches. But lots of people reckon it's not good enough. BADMINTON ROBOT First up, to a badminton-playing robot! Which is being developed by a team of Swiss engineers. Trained on a bunch of real-world camera data, and kitted out with AI-learning capabilities, it learns from every mistake it makes, and every game it plays. Its creators hope to show off the AI's potential to pull off complex tasks when paired with robots. THIN HOTEL Now, to a very skinny hotel in China. At its narrowest point, it measures just 56 centimetres wide and has been nicknamed the "blade" hotel. It's 3 stories tall, and has 3 rooms to stay in, each fitted with a bed, and a bathroom. DOG RESCUE And finally to the moment a pet dog was rescued from an old mine shaft in Victoria. Ted the Labrador had escaped from home, and was wandering around Wombat State Forest when he fell down the 8 meter deep hole! It took 4 days before he was found, unharmed thankfully, and even wagging his little tail.
