Youth killed in Tel Aviv electric scooter accident used it illegally

Teenager Daniel Cohen was killed on Wednesday in Tel Aviv while using a rented electric scooter, he used an alias for the rental.

By MAARIV ONLINE, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Lime-S Scooters (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Lime-S Scooters
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Daniel Cohen, the 13-year-old who was killed on Wednesday when he was hit by a cement mixer truck while riding an electric scooter, rented it illegally by using someone else's personal details, Maariv reported on Thursday.
The scooter was leased by Lime, an American company which entered the Israeli market in 2019. Company rules are that one must present proof of being at least 18 years of age and to own a credit card to use their scooters.
Lime is looking into the incident to determine how a 13-year-old boy was able to bypass their rules and said that they are willing to fully cooperate with the authorities if asked to.
In a press release, the company said that not only is it illegal for minors to use their services, it is also illegal for adults to rent a scooter for a person who is underage. It is also an offense to use another person’s payment details when leasing their scooters.
“Our heart goes out to the family of the youth,” the company said.
Daniel just had his Bar Mitzvah two months ago. He was killed when the driver of the cement mixer truck collided with him on Moshe Dayan Road. Despite the best efforts of the medical emergency teams that took him to Sheba Medical Center, the doctors there pronounced his death. The driver is being investigated by police.
Israel has witnessed in recent years how electric scooters have become increasingly popular, since they can be used by teenagers who don’t yet have a license, are less physically demanding than a bicycle, and offer a good solution for those who live in large urban areas.
The problem is that, due to the technology, such scooters can be souped up, making them faster and deadlier should they get involved in accidents. Teenagers, who can use them without first learning the rules of driving, are much more vulnerable than experienced drivers who opt to use them.
Ari Nesher, the 17-year-old son of film producer Avi Nesher, was killed while riding an electric scooter in Tel Aviv in September.
Often, the victims are not the people using the scooters but pedestrians who are hit by them, especially the elderly.
Model Shlomit Malka was hit by an electric scooter in 2017, in a much-publicized accident due to her celebrity status. After her recovery she led a safety campaign to encourage people to wear a helmet.


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