Mackay teenager flown to Royal Brisbane Hospital after serious e-scooter incident
UPDATE: A teenager was flown to Royal Brisbane Hospital after an e-scooter crash in Mackay, one of two incidents that happened just hours from each other.
Mackay
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mackay. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A teenager who fell from his e-scooter sustained head and abdominal injuries in one of two crashes on Thursday.
The 17 year old was reportedly taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious condition around noon following the crash on George Street in West Mackay.
A MBH spokeswoman said the teenage patient had arrived at 12.30pm in a critical condition and was flown to Royal Brisbane Hospital later that night.
The RBH was unable to provide a condition update.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the teenage patient had “sustained a head injury as a result of the fall (and had) more serious injuries”.
A different man was injured in e-scooter crash on the corner of Victoria Street and Peel Street about 1.30pm on Thursday.
The man was also taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious condition at 1.43pm.
Both crashes follow fresh calls for e-scooter bans following a new study showing 56 per cent of road users were against e-scooters on roads and 50 per cent against them on footpaths.
A Cairns mother has called for more action to keep the public safe after her an e-scooter crashed headfirst into her 10-year-old son, who suffered a broken wrist, split lip, cuts and grazes.
Mum Rebecca Hannaford told the Courier Mail “there needs to be some sort of monitoring or restrictions … some have no way to tell how fast they are going”.
RACQ principal technical researcher Andrew Kirk said a survey found nearly 50 per cent of e-scooter riders had had an accident of one form or another.
A majority of those crashes, Mr Kirk said, were while people rode under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or were speeding.
Slater and Gordon QLD head of work and roads Peta Yujnovich said while e-scooter companies had public liability insurance, privately owned e-scooters often did not leaving pedestrians unprotected by current laws.
A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said there are no plans to ban e-scooters from footbaths at present.
Correction: This article previously stated the 17-year-old teenager was flown to Townsville Hospital.
Five deaths in five months: Urgent calls for Bruce Hwy upgrades
Road safety advocates and a regional mayor have called for urgent safety upgrades and government action after a schoolgirl became the latest victim to the horror Bruce Highway.
Read more
Teen dad stole car from hospital belonging to father seeing newborn
A teen car thief with a two-day old child stole a vehicle from a fellow new father seeing his child for the first time, causing a ruckus on his drive away.
Read more