Fresno is experiencing rash of e-bike teen deaths, injuries. Here’s what to know
A rising number of children in Fresno are being killed or seriously hurt in crashes involving e-bikes, electric scooters and motorized mini bikes. Local hospitals, police and schools are sounding the alarm as injuries climb sharply.
Here are key takeaways
- A 13-year-old Fresno boy, Dominiq Puentes, was killed and a 12-year-old passenger critically injured when their motorized scooter collided with a truck at Bullard and Palm avenues on a Friday night.
- E-bike and e-scooter injuries treated at Valley Children’s Hospital jumped from 11 in 2023 to 41 in 2025, with 22 cases already recorded in the first four months of 2026.
- California law sets no age limit on lower-class e-bikes but requires riders under 18 to wear helmets, and Class 3 e-bikes require riders to be at least 16.
- Fresno State is banning motorized bikes, mopeds and scooters campuswide starting in the fall after logging 159 scooter- and skateboard-related injuries since 2023, with 85-90% involving motorized scooters
- Police and safety experts urge parents to check what they’re buying, because some vehicles marketed as e-bikes can reach speeds that aren’t street legal for young riders.
Original stories by B.J. Anteola and Anthony Galaviz
This story was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written solely by McClatchy journalists. This content was reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
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Christopher Kirkpatrick
The Fresno Bee