NEW YORK, NY— A series of fatal crashes involving electric scooters and high-powered electric bikes has increased pressure on New York officials to restrict the sale of vehicles that exceed legal limits.
The latest crash happened Thursday morning on the Upper West Side.
Police said a 49-year-old woman riding a standup e-scooter north on Amsterdam Avenue was struck by a Tesla traveling west on West 60th Street at about 10:35 a.m.
Emergency responders took her to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where she died. Authorities had not released her name.
The Tesla driver, a 34-year-old man, remained at the scene. Police have not filed charges, and the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate.
The crash came days after three other fatal e-scooter and e-bike crashes across the City, including the death of Gabriel Nacato, a 17-year-old Brooklyn teenager killed Wednesday morning while riding a high-powered electric bike near City Hall.
The recent deaths began last week, including a July 22 crash that killed Ajpop Walter, 20, of Brooklyn.
Police said Walter was riding south on 14th Avenue in Dyker Heights when his scooter collided with a Toyota near 77th Street.
He was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where he later died.
A day earlier, police said Melba Jordan, 45, was riding north on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights when a Peterbilt dump truck turning onto Pacific Street struck her.
She later died at Kings County Hospital.
E-bike-involved crashes injured 17,434 people and killed 133 across New York City from 2019 through May 2026, according to NYPD collision records.
Most victims were riders themselves, but pedestrians were also affected. Pedestrians accounted for 1,547 injuries and 16 deaths during that period.
E-bike crash injuries have declined since reaching a peak in 2023, when 3,668 injuries were reported. In 2025, that number fell 53 percent to 1,719 injuries.
The deaths have renewed calls for New York Attorney General Letitia James to issue a consumer alert about illegal electric motorcycles and scooters sold online as e-bikes.
"No one should be able to buy an illegal high-speed device on the internet and have it shipped to New York," said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, at a press conference on Thursday. "These devices are a threat to everyone — regardless of whether you're riding on one yourself or walking or biking near one."
James's office confirmed it plans to issue a warning aimed at stopping the sale of illegal e-motos and e-scooters, Streetsblog reported.
Transportation advocates said the Deepower QS7 involved in Nacato's crash had a 1,500-watt motor, twice the legal limit for e-bikes in New York.
The vehicle was advertised with speeds reaching 30 mph and included instructions for removing speed restrictions to increase performance, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.
"Many of us agree they shouldn't be on the street, yet they are," Williams said. "So we have to find ways to make the laws that exist a little bit more enforceable and create laws that don't exist."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with several district attorneys, issued a statewide warning reminding manufacturers, retailers and parents that some vehicles sold as e-bikes do not meet the legal definition of an electric bicycle.
Under California law, vehicles with pedal assistance above 28 mph, throttle assistance above 20 mph, motors above 750 watts or no operable pedals may be classified as mopeds or motorcycles instead of e-bikes.
Those vehicles may require registration, insurance and a motorcycle license.
"Sometimes, what looks like an e-bike or is marketed as an e-bike is not a bike at all," Bonta wrote. "We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks, and streets."
California officials also warned retailers that they cannot sell or advertise vehicles as e-bikes if they exceed legal limits or are designed to be modified beyond those limits.
Officials are pushing for action on two fronts: stopping illegal high-powered vehicles from entering the City and making streets safer for everyone who uses them.
"Many of us agree they shouldn't be on the street, yet they are," Williams said at a press conference on Wednesday. "So we have to find ways to make the laws that exist a little bit more enforceable and create laws that don't exist."
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
New York City Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.