Two e-bike crashes within two days, one man in hospital

Two e-bike accidents in just over 48-hours have raised concern for one Capital Region City. NEWS10 has the latest including how wearing a helmet was critical in one incident.

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Two e-bike accidents in just over 48-hours have raised concern for one Capital Region City. NEWS10 has the latest including how wearing a helmet was critical in one incident.

E-bike popularity is growing and so are the number of accidents as more bikes are forced to share the roadways with cars. The general manager of a bike store in Glens Falls voiced his concerns about that very issue.

“At some point someone's going to have to make a decision that we need to do something about this and as far as I'm concerned that point in time was in the past. It should have happened sooner than later,” said Steve Fairchild with Grey Ghost Bicycles.

Glens Falls police report two separate accidents, each involving an e-bike and a car. The first one on July 23rd, at the intersection of Bay and Sanford streets. The second accident two days later on Bay at Grand. It remains unclear if the e-bikes were modified in an attempt to make them faster. “In this case, both those bikes, whether they were modified or not, simply just ran red lights and got hit. And so, you know, there is a concern with bicyclists in general throughout our city not paying attention to the rules of the road. In this case that's what happened,” said Mayor Bill Collins.

In the first accident, an e-bike rider in his thirties ran a red light and collided with an SUV. The man was taken to Glens Falls Hospital in serious condition, then transferred to Albany Medical Center where he is now listed in stable condition. He was cited for failing to stop at a red light. He was wearing a helmet.

The second accident, the rider also in his thirties ran a red light and collided with a vehicle. No tickets issued as of yet because the case is under investigation. No helmet was worn but the rider was able to walk away. Neither driver was cited, and both were said to be cooperative with police.

Mayor Collins says as the city grows, they are looking at how cars and bikes can safely co-exist. “What we need to do is make sure that if there is a bike lane, that we're using it. And we do have some bike lanes in Glens Falls. We need more and where there isn't one what we have is what's called SHARE O’S. And those are considered the best option when you don't have a bike lane in traffic with cars.”

Fairchild says he feels there should be more regulations when it comes to e-bikes in the state. “If it’s pedal assist, I don't think it should be considered a bicycle. It should be some type of motor vehicle. Whether it's got to have registration attached to it, whether there’s insurance, [or] there’s licensing, you know, proper safety equipment. Like most of these people are also not wearing helmets,” said Fairchild.