New NJ E-Bike Law Highlighted After Margate Crash

Here's the latest concerning the 9-year-old Margate boy who was injured when the e-bike he was riding hit a car on Jerome Avenue on Thursday night.

What Caused the Accident

Margate Police say the boy rode into the intersection and struck the side of a vehicle that had just proceeded through a green light. Authorities noted the child was not wearing a helmet.

The accident happened around 6:05 pm near the intersection of Jerome and Fulton Avenues, close to the Margate recreation field complex.

The driver of the motor vehicle had stopped at the traffic light in the outside northbound lane of Jerome Avenue and proceeded into the intersection on the green light. The boy struck the side of the vehicle, ending up underneath it.

The driver stayed on the scene after the crash and doesn't appear to have been responsible for the accident.

The Margate City Police Department reminded parents on Facebook that bicycle helmets are required by New Jersey State law for anyone under 17.

The Boy's Condition

Following Thursday's crash, the boy was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police updated his condition on Friday, saying he had been released from the hospital and was at home recovering with his family.

He was amazingly lucky that he didn't suffer anything worse than cuts and bruises.

A source said that the other children in the boy's third-grade class at the Ross School in Margate wrote a get-well card for him in school on Friday.

The accident is still being investigated by the Margate Police Department.

NJ's New e-Bike Law

In its Facebook post update about the boy, Margate Police reviewed the new pending legislation on e-bikes, which goes into effect on July 19.

Riders must be 15 or older and pass a knowledge, vision, and road test before obtaining an e-bike license.

Then the new e-bike riders will obtain a permit and practice riding the e-bike and following the rules for 45 days before obtaining a license.

Every e-bike must be registered and obtain insurance before it can be ridden in the state.

These regulations will require a fair amount of additional time and money for families with kids. Parents who let their children ride without a license, insurance, registration, or a helmet will risk facing charges.