E-scooters don’t kill people. Drunk people riding on sidewalks do.
Venice resident Yin Wu, 91, lost his life Saturday night when he was mowed down by a Bird scooter near the entrance to Superba Food + Bread restaurant, the Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed.
James Skene, 29, of West Los Angeles was “arrested for felony DUI,” an LAPD spokesperson tells The Sun.
Skene had been sharing the scooter with a female passenger when the accident occurred at 9:20 p.m. on the1900 block Lincoln Boulevard, near Marco Court.
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Minutes later, first responders were seen covering a body on the sidewalk with a white sheet as horrified diners looked from a tented dining area.
Per LAPD:
A male was riding a motorized scooter (Bird) northbound Lincoln Boulevard on the east sidewalk and collided with a pedestrian. Upon impact, the pedestrian fell onto the sidewalk hitting his head, subsequently the male rider along with his female passenger were ejected off the motorized scooter and collided onto the sidewalk.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene and provided immediate medical attention to the pedestrian. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.
Skene and the unidentified woman on the scooter both suffered minor injuries.
Operating a motorized vehicle, such as a deckles scooter, under the influence of drugs or alcohol carries the same penalty as driving a car while impaired.
“It is a motorized vehicle,” the spokesperson says. “(The penalty) should be the same.”
It is unclear if the unidentified victim was entering or leaving the restaurant when he was struck.
A request for comment from Superba Food + Bread has not yet been returned.
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