The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating after a boy died following a crash involving two e-bikes on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday afternoon.
Police said an 8-year-old boy riding an e-bike is believed to have collided with a 15-year-old boy riding the same type of vehicle, on the bike path near the Kawana Way and Sunshine Motorway interchange at Mountain Creek.
The younger boy was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his injuries. The older boy refused medical treatment and is assisting police with their inquiries. Police believed both were wearing helmets.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the circumstances of the incident and is appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has relevant footage to come forward. Some witnesses are assisting police with inquiries.
Sunshine Coast Police Chief Inspector Jason Overland said the 15-year-old boy was “in custody assisting us with our inquiries”.Â
He said it would have been a confronting scene for attending officers.
“It is the police’s job to attend to situations such as but it could be very traumatising for them as well, many of them having children,” he said.
He said local police were focused on e-bike usage around the region.
“These bikes didn’t exist 5, 10, 15 years ago,” he said.
“We’ve been running operations to try and address issues, particularly with the safety around e-bikes.”
He said that included education campaigns focused on young people, schools, parents and community groups.
Another primary school student, who was riding a scooter, died in Sydney on Thursday.
The five-year-old girl died in a tragic collision with a ute outside a school.
Authorities attended Clower Ave in Rouse Hill, in Sydney’s northwest after reports a pedestrian had been hit by a car outside the Rouse Hill Public School.
Officers were told a five-year-old riding a scooter on the footpath was hit by a ute about 3.45pm. The girl was treated by paramedics and then taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital in a critical condition, but later died. The 43-year-old driver of the ute was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Police seized both the ute and the scooter for forensic examination. A crime scene was set up as police investigate the circumstances around the incident.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444. Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
