City Government
Woman Injured By Dinosaur That Scootered Away
November 2, 2018 
It finally happened last Sunday in Boise, not Jurassic Park. The first injury accident with one of those e-scooters took place at 6th and Front Streets in Boise. Witnesses said it was a hit-and-run dinosaur. Here is the official police report:
Boise Police and the City of Boise continue to monitor E-Scooter use across the city and educate users on safe ridership when appropriate. To date, BPD has taken one police report. In that report, a 59-year-old woman was injured and BPD is now asking the public for help with the investigation.
What Happened: On 10/28/18 around 2:00 p.m. a 59-year-old woman, walking in a crosswalk on 6th Street across Front Street, was struck by a man who had fallen off a scooter. The man was riding as a passenger on the scooter when he fell off. After he crashed into the woman, knocking her down, the man got back on the scooter with the female driver and they fled. The victim received minor injuries and was taken by paramedics to the hospital. The man on the scooter was dressed in a dinosaur costume and the woman on the scooter was dressed as Rainbow Brite (cartoon character for you oldsters). It’s unknown what type or brand of electric scooter they were riding.
Boise City Code states that no E-Scooter shall be used to carry more than one (1) person at a time. Anyone operating an E-Scooter in a manner that endangers or likely endangers a person or property can be charged with misdemeanor reckless or inattentive operation.
For more information about the proper use of E-Scooters please visit https://www.livboise.org/liv-stories/2018/e-scooters-are-here/.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Nov 2, 2018, 2:50 pm
I know BG could not pass on this as creating a headline as it is too enticing. It has been to busy with stories like this. On Tuesday, a person in a wheelchair was hit by a car in the crosswalk. Plus the 2 pedestrian deaths in recent weeks. What ever device you may be driving or riding, it is time for everyone to pay attention.
EDITOR NOTE–Obviously good advice Clancy. Let us know if you see a dinosaur with scraped knees as well. 🙂
Nov 2, 2018, 5:10 pm
What is the DUI law regarding scooter? Vehicle insurance requirements? Is it really a hit and run? Is that a personal lawsuit or an insurance claim to get her medical bills paid? Cute blonde on TV news says it needs to be witnessed by a police officer to get a ticket.
Pedestrian safety: Add to the list a driver totaled their car against the big traffic pole at a flashing crosswalk this morning. Hit just under the signal button and broke the cement foundation. No skid marks.
EDITOR NOTE–The cute TV blonde apparently didn’t apply common sense. People get tickets DAILY as a result of crashes and there are no coppers witnessing the events.
Nov 2, 2018, 7:08 pm
I read about the dinosaur and thought it was tragically funny. I mean no disrespect to the victim. Why did anyone in charge think this would be anything but a circus.
My first question at the launch was who do I sue if I am hit. The best answer I received was the driver, so I do hope the driver is found. It is known. They are embarrassed.
Unfortunately, waiting for it to go another way where an F350 plows down a scooter.
That LIV doc does not say only 1 rider. Oops.
Thoroughness in action.
Nov 2, 2018, 8:50 pm
“It finally happened in Boise…”
Haha! Good one! When were these gizmos rolled out? 2 weeks ago?
Boise is WAY behind the curve.
– Lime has pulled thousands of them off the streets in other cities, because they have an unfortunate tendency of catching on fire. (Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/10/30/electric-scooter-giant-lime-recalled-scooters-amid-fears-that-some-could-catch-fire/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4b3b2e614fb8)
– A class action lawsuit has been filed in L.A. Superior Court against the E-scooter proprietors, accusing them of “gross negligence” and “aiding and abetting assault.”
(Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/10/20/class-action-lawsuit-accuses-e-scooter-companies-gross-negligence/?utm_term=.6e275bce7a6f)
But – our community might be the first in which a cartoon character with a dinosaur passenger ran somebody down on an E-scooter.
“Who do I sue if I am hit?”
Since the City has approved the use of these contraptions by the general, untrained public, and on streets, pathways, bike lanes AND SIDEWALKS, you’d be foolish to think the City won’t get sued.
Nov 3, 2018, 5:00 am
I’d like to add. The Dino costume is in bad taste, being very insensitive to the under-privileged and under-served Dinos of the world. A federal hate crimes investigation should be launched. At the very least the Dino should be unmasked and fired by whatever local politically correct employer they work for.
Nov 3, 2018, 7:02 am
I wonder how well the scooters are going to work in the ice and snow come December? They maybe as hard to find as a dinosaur when the snow flies…
Nov 4, 2018, 7:56 am
Yep. It was only a matter of time. There will be more accidents for sure and I don’t think any amount of education and training will prevent vehicle and pedestrian accidents. This entire enterprise is fraught with peril and I can’t believe we’ve come to a point that we pedestrians have to give up our sidewalks to motorized vehicles. Insanity. It will be safer for us to walk in the bike lanes. I can see more lawsuits on the way.
Nov 13, 2018, 6:43 pm
I think I mentioned in an earlier story about these things that major hijinks would ensue. I have already seen 2 of the scooters with 2 occupants riding. As Will Teasle said in “Rambo”…..Portland…straight ahead!