2 Seriously Injured In Latest Motor Scooter Crash In Bridgeport: Police

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 15-year-old boy was critically injured Tuesday in Bridgeport when the scooter he was operating collided with a minivan at the intersection of Island Brook Avenue Extension and Chopsey Hill Road, according to police. A 19-year-old man, who was also riding on the scooter, suffered serious injuries, authorities said.

The 4:30 p.m. crash was the fifth, serious motor scooter crash in Bridgeport in June, and came just a day after Bridgeport police issued a safety warning about the vehicles.

Additionally, police believe the scooter the two were riding had been stolen on Monday on Bridgeport's East Side. Authorities recovered a handgun at the scene of the crash.

Police closed the intersection for a period of time on Tuesday while the department's Traffic and Accident Reconstruction Unit investigated.

No additional information about crash was disclosed.

On Monday, Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter urged residents to practice safety when riding motor scooters, and for drivers of other vehicles to be cautious on city streets due to increased presence of scooters.

In May, a 61-year-old Bridgeport man died after his motor scooter collided with a car on Huntington Turnpike.

"The volume of scooters on the city's streets makes enforcement difficult," Porter said. "Officers are seeing very young people riding them. We cannot put our citizens in further danger by pursuing riders at a high rate of speed for traffic violations. We are asking the community to be a part of the solution."