A collision between an e-bike and a bicycle left an 66-year-old cyclist dead in Key Biscayne, police said. The fatality comes after elected leaders and Village staff struggled for the last two years to find a solution to the growing safety hazard on the island posed by micro-mobility devices operated by children.
Mayor Joe Rasco called for the Council to meet Friday morning where he will propose an emergency ban on all e-bikes and electric scooters within the Village “for the safety and well-being of our residents.” The ban would be effective immediately.
Readers are invited to share a memory or tribute here
“I implore parents of children with e-bikes and scooters to work with us and comply with this order. This is a time for all residents to come together as a community as we grieve this terrible loss,” Rasco said in the video statement on the Village’s Instagram account.
Village Attorney Chad Friedman has said that Key Biscayne can ban scooters and e-bikes from all roads except Crandon Blvd. which is owned by Miami-Dade County.
Read the proposed ordinance on banning e-bikes and scooters here
Fire and police responded to the accident at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday. at the intersection of Hampton Lane and Woodcrest Road, Police Chief Frank Sousa said.
“On arrival, officers encountered a 66-year-old female in need of medical attention. The female was transported by Key Biscayne Fire Rescue to Ryder Trauma Center. Miami Dade Police Homicide was contacted and responded to the scene,” Sousa said in the brief statement.
Village Manager Steve Williamson said the e-bike was being operated by a “younger person” and the case is now being investigated by the traffic homicide unit of Miami-Dade County Police. County police did not return calls or messages for information.
The victim was identified by several Village Council members as Megan Andrews. Residents said she was fond of riding her bike around town.
Miami-Dade Police said the 12-year-old boy was riding north while Andrews was heading south. “Both individuals collided in the middle of the roadway causing them to fall,” said Det. Argemis Colome in a statement.
The 12-year-old was wearing a helmet, but the female was not. The boy sustained minor scratches and bruises, Colome said in a statement.
“She was a very well known person in the community, a wonderful, wonderful person,” said Council Member Oscar Sardiñas, who knew the victim’s family. “This is a terrible, terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to both people involved, both families. Something needs to stop and something needs to change.”
Rasco called Andrews “a beloved longtime Key Biscayne resident.”
Resident Bobbie Savage said Andrews worked as a tutor and was fondly remembered by students. “Chipper, wonderful woman. Everytime we saw her, she went out her way to smile, to hug. I cannot think of anyone who was more a ray of sunshine,” Savage said.
Residents around the intersection said the boy was seen sitting in a golf cart after the crash and that Andrews was probably on her way to her home. Records show she lived on an adjacent street.
Village Attorney Chad Friedman said Key Biscayne an ban scooters and e-bikes from all roads except Crandon Blvd. which is owned by Miami-Dade County.
Council Member Fernando Vazquez at Tuesday’s Council meeting tried to schedule a vote on the banning of the devices, saying the Village would face a fatality if action was not taken.
“I just don’t know, I had a premonition,” Vazquez said. “It just gets to the point we have to make a very strong, sometimes difficult decision.”
Vazquez and Council Member Brett Moss have said they favor a ban, while Sardiñas has called for regulation of the devices.
“I’ve been very vocal about it,” Moss said. “I’ve stated this day would come. I was hoping it wouldn’t, but I’m hoping that the Council looks at this very seriously because I think this is a major issue that we are dealing with.”
The Village has tried in vain to get the e-bike and electric scooter safety hazard under control. It is a constant point of discussion among the Council who recount monthly their near-miss encounters with e-bikes and scooters on the streets of Key Biscayne.
Rasco and Williamson lobbied state lawmakers to pass a law regulating micro-mobility devices but Legislative leaders didn’t embrace the idea, in part because state law already allows municipalities some authority to legislate.
Commissioner Raquel Regalado is working on a measure that would allow Key Biscayne to impose rules on Crandon, a County road. But the move would require a vote by the County Commission. Police have held several safety seminars where one or two families show up.
The Council only ended up banning the devices in Village parks.
Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.
JOHN PACENTI is the executive editor of the Key Biscayne Independent. John has worked for The Associated Press, the Palm Beach Post, Daily Business Review, and WPTV-TV.